ABSTRACT

The order Actinobacteria is composed of approximately 80 genera. Actinobacteria are Gram-positive bacteria showing a lamentous growth. They are a group of organisms widespread in nature and play a signicant role in the future of biotechnology, because of their importance as producers of vitamins, enzymes, antitumor agents, immunomodifying agents, and mainly, antibiotic compounds (Goodfellow, Williams, and Mordarski 1988). According to Sanglier et al. (1993), between 1988 and 1992, more than a hundred new molecules from actinobacteria were discovered.