Abstract
Two species of antimicrobial agent producing bacteria and one sensitive strain were isolated from soil. Those were identified as B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, and Curtobacterium sp. by morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics. These were designated as B. subtilis cx1, B. licheniformis cy2 and Curtobacterium sp. cf3, respectively. Antimicrobial agent produced by B. subtilis cx1 showed high antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria including of B. subtilis, Curtobacterium sp., L. mesenteroids, Staphy. aureus, S. faecalis and even gram negative bacteria, P. aeruginosa. Antimicrobial agent from B. licheniformis cy2 showed slightly lower antimi crobial activity than that from B. subtilis cx1. These two strains showed maximum production of antimicrobial agents at 30oC for 9~21hr cultivation. Curtobacterium sp. cf3 showed more sensitive activity than a sensitive strain of B. subtilis ATCC 6633 which was same genus or species with the B. subtilis cx1 and B. subtilis cy2, when the antimicrobial agent producing strains, B. subtilis cx1 and B. subtilis cy2, were directly applied onto these sensitive lawns.