Production of Extracellular Hydrolytic Enzymes by an Obligate Thermophile – Thermoactinomyces vulgaris

Enzymes from thermophiles are thermostable and thus can survive under adverse conditions, hence they are industrially important. The benefits of using thermostable enzymes include faster rate of hydrolysis and reducing risk of contamination. Thermoactinomyces vulgaris, being an important obligately thermophilic bacterium, growing optimally at 50–52°C could serve as ideal system for the production of hydrolytic enzymes. Different strains of T. vulgaris have been screened for their ability to produce industrially important extracellular hydrolases such as amylase, protease, lipase, xylanase, tannase and pectinase through plate culture assays. The tests for amylase, protease and lipase were found to be positive in the wild-type (1227) and mutant strains (1261 and 1286). Pectinase, tannase and xylanase were found to be absent in all the three strains of T. vulgaris tested. Ca²⁺ enhanced the extracellular secretion of amylase in this obligate thermophile.