Biochemical properties and potential applications of an organic solvent-tolerant lipase isolated from Bacillus cereus BF-3

An organic solvent-tolerant strain producing lipase was isolated. The optimal pH and temperature were 8.0 and 34°C, respectively. The lipase was stable at 50°C after 1 h incubation at pH 6 to 8. BF-3 lipase was very stable when incubated with methanol, ethanol and toluene below 30% (v/v) but was stability reduced drastically above 50%. While K+, Na+, Mg2+ and Ba2+ (1 mMol/L; 3 mMol/L) stimulated lipase activity, EDTA inhibited its activity indicating that the lipase from Bacillus cereus BF-3 was a metalloenzyme.Key words: Organic, solvent, tolerant, lipase, Bacillus cereus BF-3, biochemical, properties