Isolation and physiological characterization of Bacillus clausii SKAL-16 isolated from wastewater.

An alkaliphilic bacterium, Bacillus clausii SKAL-16, was isolated from soil that had been contaminated with vegetable oil. The optimal pH and general pH range for bacterial growth was 8, and 7 to 10, respectively. The bacterium could grow on tributyrin and glycerol, but could not grow on acetate and butyrate. The SKAL-16 strain excreted butyric acid during growth on tributyrin, and selectively ingested glycerol during growth on a mixture of butyric acid and glycerol. The SKAL-16 generated intracellular lipase, but did not produce esterase and extracellular lipase. The DNA fragment amplified with the chromosomal DNA of SKAL-16 and primers designed on the basis of the esterase-coding gene of Bacillus clausii KSM-K16 was not identical with the esterase-coding gene contained in the GenBank database. Pyruvate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase activities were detected in the cellfree extract (crude enzyme).