Antibiotics were investigated of several strains of Bacilli, isolated from soils of farm fields or dry weeds by waysides, having no potency to produce "natto" on soybeans.
The strains exhibited the antibiotic activity like natto bacteria and produced dipicolinic acid in the culture fluids as a main substance of antibiotics.
The results revealed that the production of dipicolinic acid was not the specific character of natto bacteria.
The two of four stains investigated were both identified as B. subtilis, the one was as B. danicus and the remainder was as B. magatherium.