A strain of Amycolatopsis orientalis No. Q427-8 (ATCC 53884) was found to produce a complex of new antiviral antibiotics, quartromicin which consisted of at least six components A1, A2, A3, D1, D2 and D3. Structural studies suggested that they are a novel type of molecules unrelated to any known antibiotics. Each component of quartromicin exhibited antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1, influenza virus type A and human immunodeficiency virus.
Streptomyces hygroscopicus No. P247-71 (ATCC 53709) produced a novel antibiotic eponemycin which exhibited specific in vivo antitumor effect against B16 melanoma. Structural studies assigned (4S)-1, 2-epoxy-2-hydroxymethyl-4-(N-isooctanoyl-L-serylamino)-6-methylhept-6-ene-3-one to eponemycin which is unrelated to the known antitumor antibiotics.