Isolation and Identification of a Thermostable Amylase-Producing Bacterium from Hatuasa Hotspring

DOMINGGUS MALLE (Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University, Jalan Ir M Putuhena, Kampus Poka Ambon, Ambon 97233, Indonesia)
JUNUS PICARIMA (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Pattimura University, Jalan Ir M Putuhena, Kampus Poka Ambon, Ambon 97233, Indonesia)
LAURY CHARA HUWAE (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Pattimura University, Jalan Ir M Putuhena, Kampus Poka Ambon, Ambon 97233, Indonesia)
INDRA RAHMAWATI (Center for Biotechnology , BPPT, Puspiptek-Serpong, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia)
WAHYU PURBOWASITO (Center for Biotechnology , BPPT, Puspiptek-Serpong, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia)

Microbiology Indonesia
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2012): June 2012

Hot springs are a common source of thermophyles which produce thermostable enzymes. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify thermostable amylase-producing bacteria from a local geothermal spring. An amylase–producing bacterium strain was isolated from this hot spring which excreted amylase after being grown on starch agar screening plates at 37 °C. It was identified as Bacillus megaterium using the method of 16S ribosomal DNA. The organism is a rod-shape and is a spore-forming  bacterium.  Maximum amylase production was achieved after incubation in the production media for 72 hours. Preliminary analysis of the secreted amylase showed that the enzyme could bind to DEAE-Sepharose matrix and was discharged by eluting with 0.5 M NaCl. The partially purified enzyme was stable up to 75 °C, showing that this enzyme might have potential application in the starch-processing industry.