Identification and characterization of Hydrogenophilus hirschii strain KB-DZ44 isolated from Hammam Righa hot spring in Algeria

The search for thermo- and extremophilic microorganisms as talented sources for highly stable enzymes has gained growing attention in recent research. The literature indicates that several microorganisms that have the ability to live under extreme conditions, such as thermophilic hot springs, volcanic and geothermal regions, are endowed with unique features of considerable interest to various industrial applications and processes. In this context, a thermophilic bacteria Hydrogenophilus hirschii strain KB-DZ44 was isolated from Hammam Righa hot spring in Ain Defla (Algeria). Identification of the isolate was done according to morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence similarity as well. The temperature range for growth was 40–80 °C (opt. temp. 60 °C), pH range was 6–12 (opt. pH 6.5–7.5), and NaCl range of 0 to 4 g/L (opt.1- 1.5 g/L). 16S rDNA sequence and blast analyses confirmed that the isolate belonging to the genus Hydrogenophilus. The sequence was submitted to GenBank with accession number (KY646164).