Isolation, Purification and Characterization of Oxygen Insensitive Azoreductase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Biodegradation of Azo Dye - Methyl Red

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from water sample from Industrial effluent and was tested for decolorization activity against commercially important dye of Methyl red. Percentage dye degradation by the isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be 90%. The enzyme involved in degradation azoreductase was assayed and purified by anion-exchange chromatography. Total activity of the purified enzyme was 22.5U/mg. The enzyme gave a single band in the SDS–PAGE with a molecular weight of 29 kDa (approximately). The maximal azoreductase activity was observed at pH 7.0 and at 37°C. This activity was NADH dependent. Several metal ions inhibited the purified enzyme including Fe2+ and Hg2+.