Keratinase Production by Endophytic Bacteria Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus VRCS-4 Isolated from Xerophytic Plant Opuntia ficus - indica (Prickly pear)

Bacterial endophytes colonize an ecological niche which is unexplored site makes them suitable to produce pharmacologically active substances with vast biotechnological potential therefore, xerophytes were chosen to isolate the endophytes. In the present study forty endophytic bacterial isolates were isolated from xerophytic plants grown near poultry farms and feather dumping sites. Of them eight isolates showed zone of hydrolysis and the maximum zone of hydrolyisis of 36mm was with VRCS-4 on skimmed milk agar. This isolate exhibited efficient feather degradation and was identified as Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus based on its morphological, biochemical test and molecular sequencing method. The isolate was deposited in NCBI with an accession number MW227423.The isolate showed maximum en-zyme activity of 140.24U/ml at 72h, pH 7.5 and 40º C at 140 rpm. Chicken feather 1% (w/v) used as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Feather deg-radation by A.aneurinilyticus VRCS-4 showed 90% degradation in feather meal broth. Ours appears to be the first report on keratinase production by endophytic bacteria from xerophytic plant (Opuntia ficus -indica).