Screening and Molecular Identification of Tyrosinase-producing Actinobacteria from Soils of the Maranjab Desert, the Hampoeil Cave, and the Hormoz Island

Tyrosine oxidizing enzymes or tyrosinases have various applications in medicine, nutritional, and environmental disciplines. By considering actinobacteria’s impacts as one of the most promising bacteria in producing bioactive compounds and valuable enzymes with medical, industrial, and environmental applications, the current study was performed to screen and identify tyrosinase-producing isolates soil samples of the Maranjab Desert, the Hampoeil cave, and the Hormoz Island.

In this research, the soil samples collected from the Maranjab Desert (10 samples) and Hormuz Island (10 samples) were cultured in ISP2 agar, and the actinobacterial colonies were isolated. The isolates and the previously-isolated strains from the Hampoeil cave were qualitatively screened by culturing on tyrosine agar medium. The result of primary screening was confirmed by culturing in tyrosine broth. Then, the tyrosinase activity of the selected isolates was quantitatively evaluated. Finally, these isolates were identified by sequencing and analyzing the 16S rRNA gene.

Among the 89 screened actinobacteria, 17 colonies showed clear zone and brown-black pigmentation around their colonies on tyrosine agar and were subjected to secondary qualitative screening. The results of secondary screening confirmed that 11 isolates produced tyrosinase. Also, the quantitative test results revealed that the strains designated UTMC 3165 and UTMC 3233 had the most enzyme activity, as 33 and 35 unit/ml, respectively. In the molecular identification, the isolates showed 99.67% and 99.88% similarity to Streptomyces tendae and Streptomyces thermocarboxydus, respectively. 

The results of the present study showed that the soils in Iran possess promising actinobacteria with the ability to produce tyrosinase enzymes. These strains were the members of the Streptomyces genus.