10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 8 Issue 3 2017 (July - September) The among several strains of moderately alkalophilic bacteria that were isolated from Lonar lake, lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus lessThan /i greaterThan sp. DS2 was selected as the best producer of extracellular protease and was used for further studies. Phenotypic and biochemical classification analysis placed DS2 in the genus lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus lessThan /i greaterThan . The bacterium was Gram positive, aerobic, motile, sporulating and rod-shaped bacterium and optimal growth temperature was found to be 37°C. The cells were able to grow well at a pH range of 8-10 which indicate that lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus lessThan /i greaterThan sp DS2 was alkalophilic. The protease exhibited its optimal activity at 90°C and optimum pH 10.5. The enzyme activity was enhanced by Ethanol, Methanol, Chloroform, Benzene, Hexane, Propanol, Acetone, Xylene and Acetic acid. However, the protease activity was inhibited by Ethyl acetate. The optimum protease activity was enhanced in presence Chloroform (208.07%). The enzyme activity has enhanced by FeCl lessThan sub greaterThan 3, lessThan /sub greaterThan BaCl lessThan sub greaterThan 2 lessThan /sub greaterThan and CaCl lessThan sub greaterThan 2 lessThan /sub greaterThan and optimum enzyme activity enhanced by MgCl lessThan sub greaterThan 2 lessThan /sub greaterThan indicating it was a metalloenzyme with a potential to be a candidate for the biotechnological potential. VIJAYSHREE M. HEMKE AND VISHAL R. DHUNDALE Lonar Lake, Alkaliphiles, Halophiles, Bacillus, Protease, Metalloenzyme, 465-470