Summary The esterification of subtilin with methanol is accompanied by an increase in bacteriostatic activity to Micrococcus conglomeratus and to Streptococcus faecalis and a decrease in activity to Staph-ylococcus aureus. The reaction when conducted at 0” is highly specific for esterification of carboxyl groups. At 25O, esterification of carboxyl groups is followed by methanolysis of some of the amide groups without splitting of peptide bonds.
