RESUMO
The study aimed at screening and identifying a potential poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating Bacillus strain and optimization of media parameters for increased PHB production by the strain. A Gram-positive bacterium that accumulated PHB was isolated from local garden soil of Bangalore. Based on morphological and physiological properties, and nucleotide sequence (about 1.5 kb) of its 16S rDNA it was identified as Bacillus thuringiensis IAM 12077. PHB production was found to be comparable to most of the Bacillus sp. reported to date. PHB production by this strain was dependent on nutrient limitation. Cell dry weight and PHB accumulation increased significantly under biphasic growth condition (from nutrient broth to nitrogen-deficient medium) as compared with growth in nutrient broth alone (from 0.32 g/l to 2.76 g/l cell dry weight; 24% to 43.37% PHB accumulation; 0.2 g/l to 1.2 g/l PHB production), with maximum accumulation at 24 h in nitrogen-deficient medium. Time course study of growth and PHB production by this strain in the nitrogen deficient medium showed that PHB production was associated with the stationary phase of growth. All the tested media containing different carbon and nitrogen sources supported growth and PHB production. Ultraviolet spectrum of the extracted polymer showed a characteristic peak at 235 nm.
