Enzymes are increasingly used in different industrial processes across the globe becausernof their extreme efficiency and highly specific bio-catalytic activities. Pectinases are among thernmost industrially important enzymes. Despite the great potential of these enzymes, however, theirrnindustrial applications have been hampered mainly owing to undesirable property in terms ofrnstability in extreme conditions when they are exposed during industrial processing. Therefore,rnthis study was undertaken with the aims of isolating and screening fungal extremophiles fromrnEthiopian extreme environment and optimizing pectinase production using submergedrnfermentation.rnrnIn the present study, 30 fungal strains were isolated and screened for their rnpectinolytic activity from Lake Shalla and Sodere Spring Waters and from those 18 were rnfilamentous fungi and 12 were yeasts. Five potential isolates were used for further study.rnPectinase production was studied on mango peel, banana peel, orange peel and wheat straw asrnmedia in submerged fermentation. Higher production of pectinase was obtained from orangernpeel and then different production conditions were optimized on it. The pectinase activity wasrnassayed with 3, 5-dinitrosalysalic acid method.rnrnIn this study,rnrnthe maximum pectinase activityrnwas achieved at pH 8.0 and 60 Â°C. Also, the activities of enzymes were found to be stimulated byrnMgrn2+rn and Carn2+rn metal ions.rnrnThe kinetics of the enzymes was studied and the enzymes Krnrnvalues were identified from Lineweaver-Burk plot as 2.196, 1.972, 2.103, 1.418, 1.199 mg/mLrnand 69.93, 68.97, 68.97, 65.36, 64.10 U/mL for isolate SL-1, SL-4, SS-2, SS-5 and SH-1rnrespectively. rnrnmrn and Vrnmax