Effect of temperature on bacterial gellan production

The effect of temperature on the production of the polysaccharide gellan by the bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461 was studied in relation to carbon source. When glucose served as the carbon source, gellan formation by the strain was highest after 72 h of growth at an incubation temperature of 30 - 31 degreesC. Polysaccharide production by the sphingomonad cells grown on corn syrup for 72 h was maximal at an incubation temperature of 31 degreesC. The highest cellular productivity in elaborating gellan was observed at 31 degreesC after 72 h of growth independent of the carbon source utilized.