Abstract

IMPROVEMENT OF CHITINASE PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF SHIGELLA SP. BY RANDOM MUTATION AND ALTERING THE NUTRIENT COMPONENT OF PRODUCTION MEDIA

Siji Philip Kavil, Pallavesam A, Sumesh K.M, ShivarudrappaB.Bhairappanavar,  Sadashiv S. O, Chandrashekhar Unakal*, Catherine Reena Paul

ABSTRACT

When bacteria are introduced in to new environment, environmental changes with which they are confronted may include temperature, nutrient concentration, salinity, osmotic pressure and pH Hence in the present study attempt has been made is to investigate the influence of physical mutation (UV mutation) and chemical mutation (Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol) in most common bacterial genera (Shigellasp) for its enzymatic characteristics. Its enzyme production capacity was checked in medium added, with different carbon and nitrogen supplements. The growth difference between both wild and mutant species was also studied by turbido-metric method. The result showed that production of enzyme altered due to mutation and these organisms are able to grow and produce enzyme even in the presence of antibiotics such of ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Hence it is evident that both physical and chemical mutation altered extra cellular enzyme production of Shigella sp. isolated from estuarine fishes and this optimized method can be followed for improved chitinase production.

Keywords: Chitinase, Shigella sp., mutation and nutrient component.