382PRODUCTION OF HALOALKALINE PROTEASE BY PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA ISOLATED FROM THE ELEPHANT DUNG SAMPLE OF SHENBAGATHOPPU HILLSAn extracellular haloalkaline protease producing bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from the elephant dung sample. Experiments were set to study the effects of various carbon sources, different nitrogen sources, incubation time interval, pH, temperature, salinity and metal ions on protease production. Identification was done by biochemical test and 16s rRNA gene sequencing. The most favorable conditions for the protease production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found to be at pH 9.0 and temperature at 40ºC. Among the tested carbon and nitrogen sources on protease production shows that galactose and potassium nitrate were the suitable substrates for the protease production respectively. An increase in protease production was recorded in media supplemented with Ca2 ions. The halo tolerance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for protease production indicated that, 5% sodium chloride was optimum for maximizing the protease productionbiosankaralingam@yahoo.co.inResearch4122013Protease, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,16s rRNA gene,Haloalkaline protease,Elephant dung sampleShankar T,Prabhu D,Sankaralingam S,Kaleeswari V,Harinathan B,Meenaksi Sundaram VAyya Nadar Janaki Ammal College, Sivakasi, Tamilnadu, India.,Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College, Sivakasi, Tamilnadu, India.,Saraswathy Narayanan College, Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamilnadu, India.,Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College, Sivakasi, Tamilnadu, India.,The Madura College, Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamilnadu, India,The Madura College, Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamilnadu, India