Abstract
Various types of pigments are produced by different bacterial species and play multifunctional role including their role as a protective agent against environmental stresses. The present study deals with the isolation and characterization of melanin pigment from bacteria. Three isolates showed pigment production and identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae S-1, Alcaligenes faecalis PBI and Enterobacter sp. ABI on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The maximum production of brown pigment (λmax 405 nm) was attained after 6 days of growth in liquid medium containing 3 g L−1 of l-tyrosine. Solubility test, FTIR and ESI-MS analysis suggested the nature of pigment as melanin. Identity of pigment type from all the three bacteria was made by HPLC analysis, results showed the presence of homogentisic acid (HGA), a precursor of pyomelanin. All the bacteria showed high activity of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) suggesting its role in HGA synthesis. PCR amplification of gene(s) also showed the presence of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (hppD) gene coding for HPPD enzyme suggesting its role in pyomelanin synthesis. This study deals with only three bacterial isolates, isolation of such pigment from a large number of bacteria growing in harsh habitats may prove useful in finding novel type of melanin.
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