[Kafamycin--a new pyrrol ether antibiotic]

Abstract

Cafamycin is a novel polyether antibiotic active against gram-positive bacteria. It was isolated from the culture fluid of Streptomyces sp., an organism producing the anthracycline antibiotic galtamycin. The structure of cafamycin was assessed by spectral analysis: UV, PMR, mass spectroscopy and CD. Physico-chemical and biological properties of the antibiotic are described. Cafamycin was shown to be an analog of indanomycin (X-14547A), a pyrrol ether antibiotic.