Thermostable amylase from an aerobic, gram-negative, non-spore forming thermophilic bacterium

An obligate aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore forming thermophilic bacterium was isolated from soil (Jordan) on starch nutrient agar at 60°C. Starch, dextrin, maltose and pullalan induced the synthesis of amylase, while glucose, lactose and fructose did not. The formation of heat stable amylase started in the early exponential phase, while maximal extracellular enzyme activity (21.75 U/ml) was detected at the end of the decline phase when most of the cells appeared as spheres.