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Abstract
Butirosin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is produced by Bacillus circulans B-3312. Experiments using recombined ribosomal and supernatant fractions from this strain and from B. megaterium KM have shown that the ribosomes of both are sensitive to butirosin. The aminoglycoside 3′-phosphotransferase present in B. circulans modifies butirosin and neomycin in vitro but confers resistance only to the former in vivo. The phosphotransferase does not modify a detectable amount of extracellular butirosin while mediating resistance to the antibiotic. In vitro, however, the enzyme appears to protect against inhibition by butirosin by inactivating the bulk of the antibiotic in the system. An extrachromosomal element of unknown function has been detected in B. circulans.
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