ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF A CATALASE PRODUCING THERMODURIC ALKALOTOLERANT BACILLUS SP. STRAIN KP10 FROM HOT SPRINGS OF TATTA PANI, AZAD KASHMIR - N. Erum; Z. Mushtaq; A. Jamil (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2017)
A remarkable diversity of extremophilic bacteria has been reported which has significant applications in biotechnology, environment, industry and medicine. Hot springs are good example of naturally occurring extremophilic environment. In our research, a catalase producing thermoduric alkalotolerant bacterial strain was isolated from the hot springs of Tatta Pani, Poonch, Azad Kashmir where microbial flora is less explored. The thermoduric isolate was screened on basis of its pH tolerance. It was characterized biochemically and identified on basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The cells of the isolate were aerobic, gram positive rods. The isolate was observed to grow at pH up to 11.0 and 65 °C whereas optimum conditions of pH and temperature were 10.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The isolate was oxidase and coagulase negative, non-motile and gave negative results for H2S production and citrate utilization. The catalase activity of the isolate was determined using its crude enzyme extract which was maximum at pH 10.0 and 45 °C. The isolate showed maximum similarity with Bacillus clausi (~88% homology). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate, named as strain KP10, had been submitted in GenBank and accessioned as KX013388.
Keywords: journal article; Alkalophiles; Bacillus; hot springs; catalase; 16S rRNA gene