UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH X&mmmwuexmxxna Service

 

PEORIA 5, ILLINOIS

June 3, 195)

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Assoc. Professor of Genetics
Department of Genetics

The University of Wisconsin
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Bear Dr, Lederberg:

Thank you for your very interesting letter of hay 25 concerning isolates
of Streptomyces for genetical work.

I believe we can furnish you cultures of Streptomyces which will maintain
vigorous sporulation through repeated transfers, grow on a synthetic
aedium at 37° C. and possess a distinct soluble pigment. I am referring
to the species, 5. viridochromogenes. We have a number of isolates of
this and I am sending you } strains. I suggest you naintain these
cultures on asparagine dextrose agar or potato dextrose agar given below.

5-888
5-92
5-13
NRRL B=1511

These have recently been studied rather extensively as far as carbon
utilization, temperature requirements etc. We also have several other
cultures of forms representing closely related species should you want
them.

We have a number of "pet media" for Streptomyces but none which is satis-
factory for all of them. These include Bennett's agar, Emmerson's agar,
Czapek agar with 1% starch substituted for sucrose, yeast extract agar
and the two formulae given below:

Potato Dextrose Agar

Prepared as follows: three components are prepared separately
l. MgSO), 0.2 gms
Cac0o 0.2 "
glucose 20.0 "
H90 100.0 ml.

2. 15 ems. of agar in 400 ml. of tap water

3. 200 gms. of potatoes in 500 ml. of tap water, cook,
filter through cheese cloth,
When each of these has been heated, mix, tube, and autoclave.
2- Dr. Joshua Lederberg-6/3-5)

Asparagine dextrose agar

Prepared as follows:

glucose
asparagine
KoHPO),

meat extract
agar

Hp0

I shall be happy to give you additional information about these strains
or about other possible Streptomyces cultures for this very interesting

study.

Sincerely yours,
(bw Wecerclle-

C. W. Hesseltine, In Charge

Culture Collection Unit
Fermentation Section

Northern Utilization Research Branch