EFFECT OF SPECIFIC IONS IN AGAR ON ANTIBIOTIC PRODUCTION BY BURKHOLDERIA-GLUMAE

Burkholderia glumae produced antibiotic substance(s) on agar plate med ia, but none in various liquid media. Some minor elements in agar were considered to be involved in the antibiotic production. K+, Ca2+, Mg2 + and NH4+ were shown to play significant roles in the production by c ulturing the bacterium in liquid media supplemented with various inorg anic chemicals. Highest production was observed when B. glumae was cul tured in the liquid medium containing a mixture of MgCl2, KCl and CaCl 2. No antibiotic production was observed in PGC broth containing MgSO4 which was substituted for MgCl2 or Mg(NO3)(2). These results suggest that specific cations and anions are involved in antibiotic(s) product ion by B. glumae.