A new anthracycline, aclacinomycin ZIMET 33352, has been isolated from cultures of Strepzomyces spec. AM 33352/NG 3-11.
Aclacinomycin A (ACM A) discovered by OKI et al. (1975) in cultures of Streptomyces galilaeus MA 144-Mi is a new promising antitumor antibiotic of the anthracycline-group. In contrast to the conventional anthracyclines containing only one sugar molecule, ACM A is a trisaccharide of three deoxyhexoses : L-rhodosamine, 2-deoxy-~-fucose and L-cinerulose A (Fig. 2). ACM A displays significantly lower general and cardiac toxicity than other anthracyclines ( O K I et al. 1980). In the course of our screening program for new antineoplastic antibiotics we found a new Streptomyces strain, Streptomyces spec. AM 33352lNG3-11, which produces aclacinomycins A, B and Y together with inactive nonglycosidic compounds (FLECK et al. 1987).
From cultures of this strain minor quantities of a new congener, named ACM ZIMET 33352, were isolated by conventional procedures including solvent extraction and column chromatography on silica gel. ACM ZTMET 33352 shows in vitro antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and mycobacleria. The IC50 value as determined using L 1210 leukemia cells was 10 ng/ml.
Streptomyces strain AM 33352/NG 3-1 1 was maintained on agar slopes, containing 0.3 % sucrose, 1.5 % dextrin, 0.01 % urea, 0.05 % NaCI, 0.05 % KH,P04, 0.05 % MgSO,, 0.05 % peptons, 0.1 % beef extract, and 3 % agar.