Growth Inhibition of Tubercle Bacilli by Fusarium, Sp:

Growth of tubercle bacilli on media-containing egg or similar complex substances is inhibited! by contamination of the medium with either fungi or bacteria. This inhibition is apparently not specific but results from the production of protein split product, deprivation of oxygen, etc.On simpler mediums (e.g. Long's) the picture is very different. While some fungi are unable to grow on those mediums, others grow freely. As a rule they do not interfere with the growth of the tubercle bacillus and may even favor it.A search was made for fungi capable of producing antibiotic agents. The following technic was used.An alundun capsule (20 × 2 cm, dense) was introduced into a 250 cc Erlenmeyer flask containing 100 cc of Long's medium. The fluid inside the capsule (±5 cc) was inoculated with the fungus under investigation, while the outside fluid was inoculated with a recently isolated strain of virulent tubercle bacilli. While a rapid and easy exchange of metabolic product occurred through the alundun wall, the c...