An extracellular protease was produced under stress conditions of high temperature and high salinity by a newly isolated moderate halophile, Salinivibrio sp. strain AF-2004 in a basal medium containing peptone, beef extract, glucose and NaCl. A modification of Kunitz method was used for protease assay. The isolate was capable of producing protease in the presence of sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium chloride, sodium acetate and sodium citrate. The maximum protease was secreted in the presence of 7.5 to 10% (w/v) sodium sulfate or 3% (w/v) sodium acetate (4.6 U ml(-1)). Various carbon sources including glucose, lactose, casein and peptone were capable of inducing enzyme production. The optimum pH, temperature and aeration for enzyme production were 9.0, 32 degrees C and 220 rpm, respectively. The enzyme production corresponded with growth and reached a maximum level during the mid-stationary phase. Maximum protease activity was exhibited in the medium containing 1% (w/v) NaCl at 60 degrees C, with 18% and 41% activity reductions at temperature 50 and 70 degrees C, respectively. The optimum pH for enzyme activity was 8.5, with 86% and 75% residual activities at pH 10 and 6, respectively. The activity of enzyme was inhibited by EDTA. These results suggest that the protease secreted by Salinivibrio sp. strain AF-2004 is industrially important from the perspectives of its activity at a broad pH ranges (5.0-10.0), its moderate thermoactivity in addition to its high tolerance to a wide range of salt concentration (0-10% NaCl).

A novel moderately halophilic, Gram-negative, curved-rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain AF-2004 T , was isolated from Bakhtegan Lake, a hypersaline lake with 17 % (w/v) total salt located in the southern region of Iran.