Isolation and Identification of L-Asparaginase Producing Bacteria and From Forest Soil of Western Mazandaran

L-asparaginase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of l- asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. It is currently used for the treatment of leukemia and some tumors. L-asparaginase decomposes L-asparagine and deprives cancer cells from this amino acid. This study aimed to isolate and identify the native L-asparaginase producing bacteria. To isolate l-asparginase-producing bacteria, ۳۰ soil samples were collected from forests in west of Mazandaran. The soil samples were cultured in the M۹ culture medium and then screened. Bacteria with the highest enzymatic activity were identified through ۱۶S rRNA gene sequencing. The enzymatic activity was measured by the nesslerization method. Two isolated bacteria, namely Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter spp. Showed the highest enzymatic activity of ۱۰.۱۵۶ and ۷۴.۸۴۳ U/mL, respectively. The optimal conditions for enzymatic activity of the identified bacteria are similar to the physiological conditions of the human body indicating the need for complementary studies on asparaginase to achieve an effective enzyme.