ISOLATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTEASE FROM BACILLUS HALODURANS (AJ302709) FROM ALKALINE LONAR LAKE

Alkaline protease alone account for 60% of the total world enzyme market with its improved properties such as higher optimum temperature and alkaline pH. Alkaline Lonar Lake, situated in the Buldhana District of the Maharashtra State, India, is a unique ecosystem and harbors various haloalkaliphilic bacterial species which produces biotechnologically important thermo-haloalkaliphilic enzymes. The present study deals with the production and partial characterizations of enzyme protease isolated from the extremophilic Lonar Lake bacterium. A total six bacterial strains were isolated on Horikoshi medium from the water, sediment and matt samples collected from Lonar crater. Out of these, one bacterium showing prominent proteolytic activity was characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical parameter and identified as Bacillus halodurans (AJ302709) by16S rRNA sequencing. The alkaline protease produced by Bacillus halodurans showed optimum activities at pH 8, at temperature 70 degree C. It proves that the enzyme alkaline protease produced by this bacillus has potential applications in food, pharmaceutical and detergent industries.