EFFECT OF COMPLEX NITROGEN-SOURCES UPON GELLAN PRODUCTION BY SPHINGOMONAS-PAUCIMOBILIS ATCC-31461

Gellan production by Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461 was examined when the complex nitrogen source soytone, corn steep liquor, corn ste ep solids, ethanol stillage, peptone or tryptone, was substituted for ammonium nitrate in the culture medium containing either glucose or co rn syrup as the carbon source. When glucose or corn syrup served as th e carbon source, exopolysaccharide production by the strain was increa sed if a complex nitrogen source was present instead of ammonium nitra te. The highest gellan production was observed after growth on soytone as a nitrogen source in a medium containing glucose as the carbon sou rce. When corn syrup served as the carbon source, bacterial growth on soytone, corn steep solids or corn steep liquor as the nitrogen source , produced the maximal gellan levels. Of the complex nitrogen sources screened, bacterial cell weights were generally observed to be highest after growth on soytone independent of the carbon source utilized.