quotCHARACTERIZATION OF MICROBIAL KERATINASES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATION AND INHIBITION STUDIESquot

Abstract

newline quotThe term aerobic actinomycete is an informal designation for bacteria that newlinebelong to the order Actinomycetales. Originally, microorganisms of this order were newlineclassified with the fungi because they possessed true aerial hyphae, which were newlineconsidered to be a fungal characteristic. However, on the basis of their cell wall newlinecomponents, in particular, their cell envelope, lipid and peptidoglycan compositions, newlinethese microorganisms are now recognized as true bacteria that are aerobic. Most newlineactinomycetes are typically gram-positive, filamentous, partially acid-fast, branched newlinebacteria that have many microbiologic characteristics in common with members of the newlinegenera Mycobacterium and Corynebacterium. newlineThe actinomycetes comprise a ubiquitous order of bacteria which exhibit wide newlinephysiological and morphological diversity. The majority of species are aerobic, newlinesaphrophytic, mesophilic forms whose natural habitat is soil. In addition, newlineactinomycetes may also be isolated from a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic newlinehabitats and can even be recovered from air, where they temporarily exist as spores or newlinemycelial fragments. These microorganisms are abundant in slightly alkaline soils rich newlinein organic matter. newlineActinomycetesquot newline