ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF L-ASPARAGINASE PRODUCING SALINICOCCUS SP. M KJ997975 FROM SOIL MICROBIAL FLORA

L-asparaginase is responsible for the hydrolysis of L-asparagine into L-aspartic acid and ammonia. L-asparaginase is used as an effective therapeutic agent against lymphocytic leukemia. It also finds applications in food industry. Though much has been unraveled about LA, it may appears today that it is at the tip of iceberg and there is tremendous scope in screening of novel LA sources and studying their properties and applications. In the current study L-asparaginase producing bacteria were screened from forest soil of Vasai, MS, India. Modified M9 medium was used for screening the L-asparaginase producers. Out of the total 885 organisms screened for L-asparaginase production, one isolate was found to produce substantial L-asparaginase (15.94 IU/ml). This isolate was further identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing as a novel strain Salinicoccus sp. M KJ997975. This orange pigment producing isolate was found to be moderately halophilic and alkaliphilic. Not much literature is available on L-asparaginase producing gram positive alkalophilic and halophilc bacteria and this is the first kind of report on L-asparaginase producing Salinicoccus sp.