Extracellular proteins of Streptomyces peucetius that bind to a red pigment were identified during the course of isolation of mutants defective in daunorubicin production. Two pigment-protein complexes were partially purified and this complex inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis. Routine solvent extraction could not separate the pigment from purified pigment-protein complex. Treatment with 2% SDS at 100degreesC followed by solvent extraction also failed to separate the protein from the pigment. However, the pigment could be separated from the purified pigment-protein complex by heating it in 0.1 M HCl at 100degreesC followed by solvent extraction. The pigment extracted from the complex was analyzed by HPLC and found to be daunorubicin. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.