Utilization of carbon and nitrogen sources by Streptomyces kanamyceticus for kanamycin production

To select a suitable synthetic medium for kanamycin production, we tested a number of carbon and nitrogen compounds for their effect on growth of Streptomyces kanamyceticus ATCC 12853 as well on kanamycin production. Galactose was found to be the most suitable carbon source, though dextrin, soluble starch, and potato starch gave moderate yields. Sodium nitrate and glycine were adequate nitrogen sources for kanamycin production. There was, however, no direct relation between the growth of the organism and antibiotic formation. The pH of the medium might be an important factor for kanamycin formation, as media giving high kanamycin yields showed an alkaline pH without exception.