Intermediary Metabolism and Antibiotic Synthesis

This chapter discusses intermediary metabolism and antibiotic synthesis. As the clinical utility of penicillin has been established, the study of antibiotics has tended to dominate the approach to certain aspects of microbiology. Not only has the “screening” process involved superficial examinations of an enormous range of microorganisms, but, more fundamentally, great efforts have been made toward understanding the mode of action of antibiotic substances and toward the improvement and control of industrial fermentations. It is important to admit that the distinction between antibiotically active and inactive metabolites is an artifact of humanly contrived situations, and has less significance to the producing organism. Given the generally acceptable view that there are basic patterns of general metabolism, on which the variety of organic systems imposes relatively minor modifications, one can define secondary metabolites as having, by contrast, a restricted distribution (which is almost species specific) and no obvious function in general metabolism.