SCREENING ACTINOMYCETES FOR EXTRACELLULAR PEROXIDASE-ACTIVITY

A diverse collection of actinomycete strains were screened for product ion of extracellular peroxidase activity by adapting a chemiluminescen ce analysis system developed for horseradish peroxidase-based enzyme-l inked immunosorbent assay. Extracellular peroxidase activity was found to be common but quantitatively variable, and this rapid and sensitiv e screening system permitted identification of a small group of high-p roducing strains, A range of spectrophotometric assays were compared f or the measurement of peroxidase activity in concentrated culture supe rnatants of two selected thermophilic streptomycetes, Of these, the pe roxide-dependent oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol was identified as the most robust and reproducible assay for quantitative studies.