Isolation and Molecular Level Identification of DNase Producing Halophilic Bacillus cereus Family Isolates from Marine Sediment Sample

Halophilic bacteria are excellent source of enzymes not only salt stable but also it can withstand and carry out reactions very efficiently under extreme conditions. Screening of bacteria from different hyper saline environment in Kanyakumari Coast, South India led to the isolation of total 111 culturable heterotrophic bacteria. Screening of Halophiles for the DNase production led to 23 isolates and from which maximum DNase producing 4 strains were selected through DNase well diffusion method. The potential isolate KVCMST-8A 12 showed maximum zone of inhibition at 35mm after 72 hours, which were able to grow optimal in media with 2-40% of salt. According to its phenotypic characteristics and comparatively partial 16S rRNA sequence, the halophilic KVCMST-8A 12 was identified as member of Bacillus cereus family.