Alkaline lipase production by novel meso-tolerant psychrophilic Exiguobacterium sp. strain (AMBL-20) isolated from glacier of northeastern Pakistan

Lipase is an important commercial enzyme with unique and versatile biotechnological applications. This study was conducted to biosynthesize and characterizes alkaliphilic lipase by Exiguobacterium sp. strain AMBL-20 T isolated from the glacial water samples of the northeastern (Gilgit-Baltistan) region of Pakistan. The isolated bacterium was identified as Exiguobaterium sp. strain AMBL-20 T on the basis of morphological, biochemical, and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences with GenBank accession number MW229267. The bacterial strain was further screened for its lipolytic activity, biosynthesis, and characterization by different parameters with the aim of maximizing lipase activity. Results showed that 2% Olive oil, 0.2% peptone at 25 °C, pH 8, and 24 h of incubation time found optimal for maximum lipase production. The lipase enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and its activity was standardized at pH 8 under 30 °C temperature. The enzyme showed functional stability over a range of temperature and pH. Hence, extracellular alkaliphilic lipase from Exiguobacterium sp. is a potential candidate with extraordinary industrial applications, particularly in bio-detergent formulations.