ABSTRACT
338Actinomycetes are Gram-positive and filamentous soil bacteria that include many genera. Although mesophilic actinomycetes are widely distributed in nature and extensively explored, the salt tolerant alkalophilic actinomycetes from the saline habitats are scarcely studied. In the present report, therefore, we describe salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes of the saline habitats. The haloalkaliphilic actinomycetes are characterized based on their morphological and cultural properties and molecular traits. Cultural characteristics of the actinomycetes are studied by using various International Streptomyces Project media. The molecular traits employed for the diversity and phylogeny are usually based on the 16S rRNA gene homology and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Haloalkaliphilic actinomycetes have gained considerable attention because of their ability to produce a range of secondary metabolites and hydrolytic enzymes under different extremities. Most of the studies on actinomycetes so far have focused on antibiotic production and only a few have been explored for the enzymatic potential. The studies have suggested a wide occurrence of hydrolytic enzymes in haloalkaliphilic actinomycetes, where proteases occupy a prominent position.
