Vol. 2, Issue 5, Part G (2016)

Abstract
In this study, a melanin producing bacterium was isolated from sewage water sample collected from Akola region of Maharashtra using nutrient agar supplemented with L-tyrosine. The morphological and biochemical analysis showed that the bacterium was gram negative short rod shaped, highly motile, opaque irregularly shaped large colonies with lobate margin, raised elevation and smooth texture. Also, the isolate was oxidase, catalase and caseinase positive. It was citrate positive while indole, methyl red and voges-proskauer negative. Moreover, it can ferment glucose but not sucrose, starch and lactose. The isolated bacterium produced nearly black colored pigment which can be tentatively inferred as melanin due to its ability to utilize L-tyrosine. After phylogenetic identification, this bacterium was found to be closest neighbor of Pseudomonas guezennei