Isolation and Screening of Tyrosinase Producing Bacteria from Ahmednagar Region

Enzyme Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1, monophenol, O-diphenol: oxygen oxidoreductase) is a copper-metallo-bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the biochemical reaction of O-hydroxylation and oxidation of monophenols to quinones. Many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms depend on tyrosinase for their immune defense mechanisms. It is used for a variety of medical applications, including the production of L-DOPA, melanin, etc. It is also used in the bioremediation of phenolic compounds from water. The current study aimed to isolate and screen the tyrosinase enzyme-producing bacteria from water, soil, and mud samples from various regions of Ahmednagar tahsil. A total of 3 strains were isolated from collected water, soil, and mud samples and tested on a tyrosinase agar medium (Peptone 0.15%, Yeast extract 0.15%, NaCl 0.5%, and 0.1% tyrosine) for the production of the enzyme tyrosinase. Tyrosinase activity was measured at 475 nm using a UV spectrophotometer and results were tabulated. The maximum activity was recorded as 43 U/ml/min. The strain that showed the highest enzyme activity was identified as Brevundimonas diminuta