First report on revelatory prokaryotic diversity of Unkeshwar hot spring (India) having biotechnological potential

195-200Morphologically distinct strains of thermophilic bacteria (17 in number) isolated at 70oC from a hot spring in Unkeshwar (19o 85’ N and 78o 25’ E), Nanded district, Maharashtra state, India. All isolates have been characterized and identified using phenotypic and genotypic characters. Facultative bacterial growth was observed within 12-16 h of incubation at 70°C. The bacterial strains could tolerate temperature between 45-90°C (optimum 45-65°C) and pH between 5-9 (optimum 7-8). Based on morphological characteristics, biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, isolates belonged to Firmicute, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. This is the first report of microbial diversity associated with Unkeshwar hot spring in Nanded based on wet laboratory results. Our results revealed the presence of different thermophilic and thermoduric industrially important bacteria in Unkeshwar hot spring.Some of these isolates showed resistance to antibiotics, such as, (Bacitracin, 10 units/disc; Ciprofloxacin HCl, 5 mcg/disc; Polymyxin B, 300 mcg/disc & Tetracycline, 30 mcg/disc). All reported isolates had produced products stable at high temperatures, such as, amylase, gelatinase, protease, urease, oxidase and antibiotics having various applications in starch, food, feed, pulp and paper, detergents, leather processing, healthcare-especially dental and skin, and pharmaceutical industries