The effect of carbon sources on nisin Z biosynthesis in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis A164 was studied in batch culture using M17 broth containing different carbon sources. Among the eleven carbon sources tested, glucose, sucrose, and lactose were suitable carbon sources for cell growth of L. lactis A164. In particular, cells grown on lactose produced at least 3-fold greater amount of nisin Z than those on other carbon sources. Galactose resulted in less amount of cell mass than did sucrose or glucose, but gave a higher level of nisin Z activity. Northern blot analysis revealed. that lactose increased the transcription of the nisZ pre-peptide gene. Although galactose was less efficient than lactose, it increased the transcription of nisZ along with a higher level of nisin Z than did sucrose and glucose. These results suggest that the increased nisin Z production is correlated with the induction of nisZ by lactose and galactose. Among all the carbon sources tested, no remarkable differences were observed in nisRK and nisFEG transcripts, indicating that the lactose- or galactose-mediated induction is unique to the nisZ promoter.