Isolation and characterization of a marine bacterium producing protease from Chukchi Sea, Arctic

A Gram negative bacterium Ar/W/b/75°25＇N/1 producing extracellular alkaline protease was isolated from surface water of latitude 75°25＇N, and longitude 162°25＇W in Chukchi sea, Arctic. The strain can grow at the temperature range from 7℃ to 30℃, and grow better at 30(℃. It can not grow at 40℃. Keeping certain salinity concentration in medium is necessary for cell growth. It grows well in medium containing salinity concentration from 0. 5 % to 10 % sodium chloride. Glucose, sucrose and soluble starch can be utilized by the strain, among which glucose is the optimal carbon source. Peptone is the optimal organic nitrogen source for cell growth and protease producing, and ammonium nitrate is the optimal inorganic nitrogen source.About 75.7% of total protease of the strain are extracellular enzyme. Optimal temperature for proteolytic activity is at 40℃. Protease of the strain keeps stable below 40℃, and shows high proteolytic activity within the pH range from 7 to 11.