Isolation and characterization of sulphur oxidising bacteria from the soils of Maharashtra and molecular diversity

During present investigation, attempts were made to isolate sulphur oxidizing microbes from one hundred and fifty rhizosphere soil samples from different regions of Maharashtra state, India. Out of the total samples tested, twenty two samples showed the presence of sulphur oxidizing bacteria. Eight isolates were identified as Acidithiobacillus sp. which produced small yellow coloured colonies on thiosulphate agar medium. They were Gram negative, short rods with size ranging from 0.3–0.7 x 0.9–1.6 μm. RAPD analysis of Acidothiobacillus thiooxidans isolates was undertaken and those were subjected to 3D scatter plot analysis.