Microbial alkaline proteases: from a bioindustrial viewpoint

Biodegradation of a keratin waste and the concomitant production of detergent stable serine proteases from Paecilomyces lilacinus

Paecilomyces lilacinus (LPS 876) efficiently degraded keratin in chicken feather during submerged cultivation producing extracellular proteases. Characterization of crude protease activity was done including its compatibility in commercial detergents. Optimum pH and temperature were 10.0 and 60 °C, respectively. Protease activity was enhanced by Ca²⁺ but was strongly inhibited by PMSF and by Hg²⁺ suggesting the presence of thiol-dependent serine proteases. The crude protease showed extreme stability toward non-ionic (Tween 20, Tween 85, and Triton X-100) and anionic (SDS) surfactants, and relative stability toward oxidizing agent (H₂O₂ and sodium perborate). In addition, it showed excellent stability and compatibility with various solid and liquid commercial detergents from 30 to 50 °C. The enzyme preparation retained more than 95% of its initial activity with solid detergents (Ariel™ and Drive™) and 97% of its original activity with a liquid detergent (Ace™) after pre-incubation at 40 °C. The protective effect of polyols (propylene glycol, PEG 4000, and glycerol) on the heat inactivation was also examined and the best results were obtained with glycerol from 50 to 60 °C. Considering its promising properties, P. lilacinus enzymatic preparation may be considered as a candidate for use in biotechnological processes (i.e., as detergent additive) and in the processing of keratinous wastes.

Activated charcoal-a potential material in glucoamylase recovery

The potential of activated charcoal in the purification of fungal glucoamylase was investigated. Various concentrations of activated charcoal (1–4% w/v) were used to concentrate crude glucoamylase from Rhizopus oligosporus at different temperature values (30–50°C). Effects of pH (3.0–6.0) and contact time (0–60 min) on enzyme purification were also monitored. Activated charcoal (3% w/v) gave a 16-fold purification in a single-step purification at 50°C for 20 min and pH 5.5. The result of SDS-PAGE analysis of purified glucoamylase showed two major protein bands with corresponding molecular weight of 36 kDa and 50 kDa. The method is inexpensive, rapid, and simple which could facilitate downstream processing of industrial enzyme.

Microbial and fungal protease inhibitors--current and potential applications

Proteolytic enzymes play essential metabolic and regulatory functions in many biological processes and also offer a wide range of biotechnological applications. Because of their essential roles, their proteolytic activity needs to be tightly regulated. Therefore, small molecules and proteins that inhibit proteases can be versatile tools in the fields of medicine, agriculture and biotechnology. In medicine, protease inhibitors can be used as diagnostic or therapeutic agents for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases as well as for treating cancer and immunological, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. They can be involved in crop protection against plant pathogens and herbivorous pests as well as against abiotic stress such as drought. Furthermore, protease inhibitors are indispensable in protein purification procedures to prevent undesired proteolysis during heterologous expression or protein extraction. They are also valuable tools for simple and effective purification of proteases, using affinity chromatography. Because there are such a large number and diversity of proteases in prokaryotes, yeasts, filamentous fungi and mushrooms, we can expect them to be a rich source of protease inhibitors as well.

Comparative one-factor-at-a-time, response surface (statistical) and bench-scale bioreactor level optimization of thermoalkaline protease production from a psychrotrophic Pseudomonas putida SKG-1 isolate

BACKGROUND

Production of alkaline protease from various bacterial strains using statistical methods is customary now-a-days. The present work is first attempt for the production optimization of a solvent stable thermoalkaline protease by a psychrotrophic Pseudomonas putida isolate using conventional, response surface methods, and fermentor level optimization.

RESULTS

The pre-screening medium amended with optimized (w/v) 1.0% glucose, 2.0% gelatin and 0.5% yeast extract, produced 278 U protease ml(-1) at 72 h incubation. Enzyme production increased to 431 Uml(-1) when Mg2+ (0.01%, w/v) was supplemented. Optimization of physical factors further enhanced protease to 514 Uml(-1) at pH 9.0, 25°C and 200 rpm within 60 h. The combined effect of conventionally optimized variables (glucose, yeast extract, MgSO4 and pH), thereafter predicted by response surface methodology yielded 617 U protease ml(-1) at glucose 1.25% (w/v), yeast extract 0.5% (w/v), MgSO4 0.01% (w/v) and pH 8.8. Bench-scale bioreactor level optimization resulted in enhanced production of 882 U protease ml(-1) at 0.8 vvm aeration and 150 rpm agitation during only 48 h incubation.

CONCLUSIONS

The optimization of fermentation variables using conventional, statistical approaches and aeration/agitation at fermentor level resulted in ~13.5 folds increase (882 Uml(-1)) in protease production compared to un-optimized conditions (65 Uml(-1)). This is the highest level of thermoalkaline protease reported so far by any psychrotrophic bacterium.

Effect of Culture Conditions on the Production of an Extracellular Protease by Bacillus sp. Isolated from Soil Sample of Lavizan Jungle Park

Soil samples of Tehran jungle parks were screened for proteolytic Bacilli. Among eighteen protease producers one of the isolates obtained from Lavizan park, in north east of Tehran, was selected for further experimental studies. This isolate was identified as Bacillus sp. strain CR-179 based on partial sequencing of 16S rRNA. Various nutritional and environmental parameters affected protease production by Bacillus sp. strain CR-179. Protease production by this Bacillus cultivated in liquid cultures reached a maximum at 24 h, with levels of 340.908 U/mL. Starch and maltose were the best substrates for enzyme production while some pure sugars such as fructose, glucose, and sucrose could not influence production of protease. Among various organic nitrogen sources corn steep liquor, which is commercial, was found as the best substrate followed by yeast extract, whey protein, and beef extract. The optimal pH and optimal temperature of enzyme production were 8.0 and 45°C, respectively. Studies on enzymatic characterization revealed that crude protease showed maximum activity at pH 9.0 and 60°C, which is indicating the enzyme to be thermoalkaline protease.

Production of a solvent, detergent, and thermotolerant lipase by a newly isolated Acinetobacter sp. in submerged and solid-state fermentations

The lipase production ability of a newly isolated Acinetobacter sp. in submerged (SmF) and solid-state (SSF) fermentations was evaluated. The results demonstrated this strain as one of the rare bacterium, which is able to grow and produce lipase in SSF even more than SmF. Coconut oil cake as a cheap agroindustrial residue was employed as the solid substrate. The lipase production was optimized in both media using artificial neural network. Multilayer normal and full feed forward backpropagation networks were selected to build predictive models to optimize the culture parameters for lipase production in SmF and SSF systems, respectively. The produced models for both systems showed high predictive accuracy where the obtained conditions were close together. The produced enzyme was characterized as a thermotolerant lipase, although the organism was mesophile. The optimum temperature for the enzyme activity was 45°C where 63% of its activity remained at 70°C after 2 h. This lipase remained active after 24 h in a broad range of pH (6-11). The lipase demonstrated strong solvent and detergent tolerance potentials. Therefore, this inexpensive lipase production for such a potent and industrially valuable lipase is promising and of considerable commercial interest for biotechnological applications.

Recovery of Bacillus licheniformis Alkaline Protease from Supernatant of Fermented Wastewater Sludge Using Ultrafiltration and Its Characterization

Investigation on recovery of alkaline protease from B. licheniformis ATCC 21424 fermented wastewater sludge was carried out by centrifugation and ultrafiltration. Optimization of ultrafiltration parameters (transmembrane pressure (TMP) and feed flux) was carried out with 10 kDa membrane. TMP of 90 kPa and feed flux of 714 L/h/m² gave highest recovery (83%) of the enzyme from the centrifuged supernatant. The recovered enzyme had given maximum activity at temperature of 60°C and at pH 10. It was stable between pH 8 to 10 and retained 97% activity at 60°C after 180 min of incubation. Enzyme activity was significantly augmented by metal ions like Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺. Protease inhibitors like phenylmethyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) and diisopropyl fluorophosphates (DFPs) completely inhibited the enzyme activity. The partially purified protease showed excellent stability and compatibility with various commercial detergents. The detergent (Sunlight) removed the blood stains effectively along with the enzyme as additive.

Digestive Alkaline Proteases from Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, Raja clavata, and Scorpaena scrofa: Characteristics and Application in Chitin Extraction

The aim of this work was to study some biochemical characteristics of crude alkaline protease extracts from the viscera of goby (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus), thornback ray (Raja clavata), and scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa), and to investigate their applications in the deproteinization of shrimp wastes. At least four caseinolytic proteases bands were observed in zymogram of each enzyme preparation. The optimum pH for enzymatic extracts activities of Z. ophiocephalus, R. clavata, and S. scrofa were 8.0-9.0, 8.0, and 10.0, respectively. Interestingly, all the enzyme preparations were highly stable over a wide range of pH from 6.0 to 11.0. The optimum temperatures for enzyme activity were 50°C for Z. ophiocephalus and R. clavata and 55°C for S. scrofa crude alkaline proteases. Proteolytic enzymes showed high stability towards non-ionic surfactants (5% Tween 20, Tween 80, and Triton X-100). In addition, crude proteases of S. scrofa, R. clavata, and Z. ophiocephalus were found to be highly stable towards oxidizing agents, retaining 100%, 70%, and 66%, respectively, of their initial activity after incubation for 1 h in the presence of 1% sodium perborate. They were, however, highly affected by the anionic surfactant SDS. The crude alkaline proteases were tested for the deproteinization of shrimp waste in the preparation of chitin. All proteases were found to be effective in the deproteinization of shrimp waste. The protein removals after 3 h of hydrolysis at 45°C with an enzyme/substrate ratio (E/S) of 10 were about 76%, 76%, and 80%, for Z. ophiocephalus, R. clavata, and S. scrofa crude proteases, respectively. These results suggest that enzymatic deproteinization of shrimp wastes by fish endogenous alkaline proteases could be applicable to the chitin production process.

Enhanced production of alkaline thermostable keratinolytic protease from calcium alginate immobilized cells of thermoalkalophilic Bacillus halodurans JB 99 exhibiting dehairing activity

The thermoalkalophilic Bacillus halodurans JB 99 cells known for production of novel thermostable alkaline keratinolytic protease were immobilized in calcium alginate matrix. Batch and repeated batch cultivation using calcium alginate immobilized cells were studied for alkaline protease production in submerged fermentation. Immobilized cells with 2.5% alginate and 350 beads/flask of initial cell loading showed enhanced production of alkaline protease by 23.2% (5,275 ± 39.4 U/ml) as compared to free cells (4,280 ± 35.4 U/ml) after 24 h. In the semicontinuous mode of cultivation, immobilized cells under optimized conditions produced an appreciable level of alkaline protease in up to nine cycles and reached a maximal value of 5,975 U/ml after the seventh cycle. The enzyme produced from immobilized cells efficiently degraded chicken feathers in the presence of a reducing agent which can help the poultry industry in the management of keratin-rich waste and obtaining value-added products.

A novel subtilase with NaCl-activated and oxidant-stable activity from Virgibacillus sp. SK37

BACKGROUND

Microbial proteases are one of the most commercially valuable enzymes, of which the largest market share has been taken by subtilases or alkaline proteases of the Bacillus species. Despite a large amount of information on microbial proteases, a search for novel proteases with unique properties is still of interest for both basic and applied aspects of this highly complex class of enzymes. Oxidant stable proteases (OSPs) have been shown to have a wide application in the detergent and bleaching industries and recently have become one of the most attractive enzymes in various biotechnological applications.

RESULTS

A gene encoding a novel member of the subtilase superfamily was isolated from Virgibacillus sp. SK37, a protease-producing bacterium isolated from Thai fish sauce fermentation. The gene was cloned by an activity-based screening of a genomic DNA expression library on Luria-Bertani (LB) agar plates containing 1 mM IPTG and 3% skim milk. Of the 100,000 clones screened, all six isolated positive clones comprised one overlapping open reading frame of 45% identity to the aprX gene from Bacillus species. This gene, designated aprX-sk37 was cloned into pET21d(+) and over-expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The enzyme product, designated AprX-SK37, was purified by an immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography to apparent homogeneity and characterized. The AprX-SK37 enzyme showed optimal catalytic conditions at pH 9.5 and 55°C, based on the azocasein assay containing 5 mM CaCl2. Maximum catalytic activity was found at 1 M NaCl with residual activity of 30% at 3 M NaCl. Thermal stability of the enzyme was also enhanced by 1 M NaCl. The enzyme was absolutely calcium-dependent, with optimal concentration of CaCl2 at 15 mM. Inhibitory effects by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid indicated that this enzyme is a metal-dependent serine protease. The enzyme activity was sensitive towards reducing agents, urea, and SDS, but relatively stable up to 5% of H2O2. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that AprX-SK37 belongs to a novel family of the subtilase superfamily. We propose the name of this new family as alkaline serine protease-X (AprX).

CONCLUSIONS

The stability towards H2O2 and moderately halo- and thermo-tolerant properties of the AprX-SK37 enzyme are attractive for various biotechnological applications.

Production and properties of keratinolytic proteases from three novel Gram-negative feather-degrading bacteria isolated from Brazilian soils

The keratinolytic potential and protease properties of three novel Gram-negative feather-degrading bacteria isolated from Brazilian soils was described. Aeromonas hydrophila K12, Chryseobacterium indologenes A22 and Serratia marcescens P3 were able to degrade feather meal, producing high amounts of soluble proteins and forming thiol groups. The proteases of strains K12, A22 and P3 had optimal pH of 8.0, 7.5 and 6.0, respectively; this last is an uncommon feature for bacterial keratinases. The optimal temperature was in the range 45-55°C. All three proteases were active towards azokeratin and were inhibited by EDTA, suggesting that they are keratinolytic metalloproteases. The proteolytic activity of K12 was stimulated by organic solvents and the detergent SDS, suggesting its potential application for detergent formulations and peptide synthesis. Strains A22, K12 and P3 have great potential for use in biotechnological processes involving hydrolysis of keratinous byproducts.

Identification and characterization of alkaline serine protease from goat skin surface metagenome

Metagenomic DNA isolated from goat skin surface was used to construct plasmid DNA library in Escherichia coli DH10B. Recombinant clones were screened for functional protease activity on skim milk agar plates. Upon screening 70,000 clones, a clone carrying recombinant plasmid pSP1 exhibited protease activity. In vitro transposon mutagenesis and sequencing of the insert DNA in this clone revealed an ORF of 1890 bp encoding a protein with 630 amino acids which showed significant sequence homology to the peptidase S8 and S53 subtilisin kexin sedolisin of Shewanella sp. This ORF was cloned in pET30b and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Although the cloned Alkaline Serine protease (AS-protease) was overexpressed, it was inactive as a result of forming inclusion bodies. After solubilisation, the protease was purified using Ni-NTA chromatography and then refolded properly to retain protease activity. The purified AS-protease with a molecular mass of ~63 kDa required a divalent cation (Co²⁺ or Mn²⁺) for its improved activity. The pH and temperature optima for this protease were 10.5 and 42°C respectively.

Solvent-stable digestive alkaline proteinases from striped seabream (Lithognathus mormyrus) viscera: characteristics, application in the deproteinization of shrimp waste, and evaluation in laundry commercial detergents

Alkaline proteases from the viscera of the striped seabream (Lithognathus mormyrus) were extracted and characterized. Interestingly, the crude enzyme was active over a wide range of pH from 6.0 to 11.0, with an optimum pH at the range of 8.0-10.0. In addition, the crude protease was stable over a broad pH range (5.0-12.0). The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 50 °C. The crude alkaline proteases showed stability towards various surfactants and bleach agents and compatibility with some commercial detergents. It was stable towards several organic solvents and retained more than 50% of its original activity after 30 days of incubation at 30 °C in the presence of 25% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, diethyl ether, and hexane. The crude enzyme extract was also tested for shrimp waste deproteinization in the preparation of chitin. The protein removal with a ratio enzyme/substrate of 10 was about 79%.

Proteases

Proteases are ubiquitous in biosystems where they have diverse roles in the biochemical, physiological, and regulatory aspects of cells and organisms. Proteases represent the largest segment of the industrial enzyme market where they are used in detergents, in food processing, in leather and fabric upgrading, as catalysts in organic synthesis, and as therapeutics. Microbial protease overproducing strains have been developed by conventional screening, mutation/selection strategies and genetic engineering, and wholly new enzymes, with altered specificity or stability have been designed through techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution. Complete sequencing of the genomes of key Bacillus and Aspergillus workhorse extracellular enzyme producers and other species of interest has contributed to enhanced production yields of indigenous proteases as well as to production of heterologous proteases. With annual protease sales of about $1.5–1.8 billion, proteases account for 60% of the total enzyme market. Detergent proteases, with an annual market of about $1 billion account for the largest protease application segment. Subtilisin Carlsberg and related subtilisin serine proteases represent the first generation of detergent proteases with pH optima of 9–10. The second generation, having higher pH optima (10–11) and greater temperature stability, is produced from alkalophilic strains including Bacillus clausii and B. halodurans. The third generation consists of detergent proteases whose active sites and/or stability have been modified by protein engineering. The principal applications of proteases in food processing are in brewing, cereal mashing, and beer haze clarification, in the coagulation step in cheese making, in altering the viscoelastic properties of dough in baking and in production of protein hydrolysates. In organic synthesis, proteases have application in synthesis and/or hydrolysis of peptide, ester, and amide bonds involving carboxylic acids and are effective tools for resolution of pairs of enantiomers. Proteases have applications in nutrition as digestive aids and in therapy in thrombosis and cancer treatment. Hyperproteolytic endogenous activity may play significant roles in abnormal physiological functioning as well as in microbial and viral pathophysiological conditions and this has created substantial momentum for development of protease inhibitors as therapeutic agents against disease-causing proteases.

Proteases

Proteases are ubiquitous in biosystems where they have diverse roles in the biochemical, physiological, and regulatory aspects of cells and organisms. Proteases represent the largest segment of the industrial enzyme market where they are used in detergents, in food processing, in leather and fabric upgrading, as catalysts in organic synthesis, and as therapeutics. Microbial protease overproducing strains have been developed by conventional screening, mutation/selection strategies and genetic engineering, and wholly new enzymes, with altered specificity or stability, have been designed through techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution. Complete sequencing of the genomes of key Bacillus and Aspergillus workhorse extracellular enzyme producers and other species of interest has contributed to enhanced production yields of indigenous proteases as well as to production of heterologous proteases. With annual protease sales of about $1.5–1.8 billion, proteases account for 60% of the total enzyme market. Detergent proteases, with an annual market of about $1 billion account for the largest protease application segment. Subtilisin Carlsberg and related subtilisin serine proteases represent the first generation of detergent proteases with pH optima of 9–10. The second generation, having higher pH optima (10–11) and greater temperature stability, is produced from alkalophilic strains including Bacillusclausii and B. halodurans. The third generation consists of detergent proteases whose active sites and/or stability have been modified by protein engineering. The principal applications of proteases in food processing are in brewing, cereal mashing, and beer haze clarification, in the coagulation step in cheese making, in altering the viscoelastic properties of dough in baking and in production of protein hydrolysates. In organic synthesis, proteases have application in synthesis and/or hydrolysis of peptide, ester, and amide bonds involving carboxylic acids and are effective tools for resolution of pairs of enantiomers. Proteases have applications in nutrition as digestive aids and in therapy in thrombosis and cancer treatment. Hyperproteolytic endogenous activity may play significant roles in abnormal physiological functioning as well as in microbial and viral pathophysiological conditions and this has created substantial momentum for development of protease inhibitors as therapeutic agents against disease-causing proteases.

A novel nonionic surfactant- and solvent-stable alkaline serine protease from Serratia sp. SYBC H with duckweed as nitrogen source: production, purification, characteristics and application

A novel nonionic surfactant- and hydrophilic solvent-stable alkaline serine protease was purified from the culture supernatant of Serratia sp. SYBC H with duckweed as nitrogen source. The molecular mass of the purified protease is about 59 kDa as assayed via SDS-PAGE. The protease is highly active over the pH range between 5.0 and 11.0, with the maximum activity at pH 8.0. It is also fairly active over the temperature range between 30 and 80°C, with the maximum activity at 40°C. The protease activity was substantially stimulated by Mn(2+) and Na(+) (5 mM), up to 837.9 and 134.5% at 40°C, respectively. In addition, Mn(2+) enhanced the thermostability of the protease significantly at 60°C. Over 90% of its initial activity remained even after incubating for 60 min at 40°C in 50% (v/v) hydrophilic organic solvents such as DMF, DMSO, acetone and MeOH. The protease retained 81.7, 83.6 and 76.2% of its initial activity in the presence of nonionic surfactants 20% (v/v) Tween 80, 25% (v/v) glycerol and Triton X-100, respectively. The protease is strongly inhibited by PMSF, suggesting that it is a serine protease. Washing experiments revealed that the protease has an excellent ability to remove blood stains.

Purification of Protease from Pseudomonas thermaerum GW1 Isolated from Poultry Waste Site

An extracellular protease was purified from Pseudomonas thermaerum GW1 a new strain identified by morphological, biochemical and 16S rDNA sequencing. It was isolated from soil of Poultry waste site at Ghazipur near Ghaziabad, Delhi. The strain produces extra cellular protease in the culture media that was maintained at 37°C, 140 rpm. The media was harvested for protease after 48 hrs of incubation at 37°C in basal media supplemented with 1% casein. We report 6.08 fold purification of enzyme following ammonium sulphate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be approximately 43,000 daltons as shown by casein zymography studies. The optimum pH for the proteolytic activity was pH 8.0 and enzyme remained stable between pH 5 -11 at 60°C. Interestingly Mn²⁺ (5mM) activated enzyme activity by 5 fold, while Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺and Ca²⁺ moderately activated enzyme activity, where as Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺ and Hg²⁺ inhibited enzyme activity. The protease produced was stable in presence of 50 % (v/v) ethylacetate and acetone. Isopropanol, methanol and benzene increased protease activity by 2.7, 1.3 and 1.1 fold respectively but was inhibited in presence of glycerol and DMSO. This organic solvent-stable protease could be used as a biocatalyst for enzymatic peptide synthesis

Phylogenetic diversity of alkaline protease-producing psychrotrophic bacteria from glacier and cold environments of Lahaul and Spiti, India

The diversity of proteolytic bacteria associated with a glacier and cold environment soils from three different locations in Lahaul and Spiti, India was investigated. Two hundred seventeen bacterial strains were isolated in pure culture. Subsequently these strains were screened for protease-production and one hundred nine showed protease production. From these protease producing psychrotrophic bacteria twenty showing high enzyme production at low temperature and alkaline pH were characterized and identified. The 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis revealed that none of the strains showed 100% identity with the validly published species of various genera. Isolates belonged to three classes i.e. Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria, and were affiliated with the genera Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Mycoplana, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, Serratia and Stenotrophomonas. The optimal growth temperature ranged from 10 to 28 degrees C and interestingly, high levels of enzyme productions were measured at growth temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees C, for most of the isolates in plate assay. Most of the isolates were found to produce at least two other hydrolytic enzymes along with protease. The crude protease from one strain was active over broad range of temperature and pH with optima at 30 degrees C and 7.5, respectively. The protease activity was enhanced by Ca(2+), dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol. While Na(+), Hg(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+), phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid did not showed much effect on protease activity. The results enrich our knowledge on the psychrotrophic bacterial diversity and biogeographic distribution of enzyme producing bacteria in western Himalaya.

Partial purification and properties of a laundry detergent compatible alkaline protease from a newly isolated Bacillus species Y

Alkaline protease production by a newly isolated Bacillus species from laundry soil was studied for detergent biocompatibility. From its morphological and nucleotide sequence (about 1.5 kb) of its 16S rDNA it was identified as Bacillus species with similarity to Bacillus species Y (Gen Bank entry: ABO 55095), and close homology with Bacillus cohnii YN-2000 (Gen Bank entry: ABO23412). Partial purification of the enzyme by ammonium sulfate (50-70% saturation) yielded 8-fold purity. Casein zymography and Sodium dodecylsulphate-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of the partially purified enzyme revealed two isozymes of molecular sizes approximately 66 kDa and 18 kDa, respectively. The enzyme was most active at pH 12 and 50°C. At pH 12 the enzyme was stable for 5 h and retained 60% activity. The enzyme retained 44% activity at 50°C up to 2 h. The protease showed good hydrolysis specificity with different substrates tested. The presence of Mn(2+), Co(2+) and ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) showed profound increase in protease activity. The protease of Bacillus species Y showed excellent stability and compatibility with three locally available detergents (Kite, Tide and Aerial) up to 3 h retaining almost 70-80% activity and 10-20% activity at room temperature (30°C) and 50°C, respectively, indicating the potential role of this enzyme for detergent application.

Subtilisin-like serine protease from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis with N- and C-terminal propeptides

The genome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis contains three genes encoding subtilisin-like serine proteases, Tk-1689, Tk-0076 and Tk-subtilisin. Of them, the structure and function of Tk-subtilisin have been extensively studied. To examine whether Tk-1689 is matured to an active form and functions as a hyperthermostable protease as is Tk-subtilisin, the gene encoding the Tk-1689 derivative without a putative N-terminal signal sequence, termed Pro-Tk-SP, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Pro-Tk-SP is composed of 640 amino acid residues and its molecular mass is 68.6 kDa. The recombinant protein was purified, however, as an active 44 kDa protease, termed Tk-SP, which lacks the N-terminal 113 and C-terminal 101 amino acid residues. This result suggests that Pro-Tk-SP consists of an N-terminal propeptide (Ala1-Ala113), a mature domain (Tk-SP, Val114-Val539) and a C-terminal propeptide (Asp540-Gly640). Like Tk-subtilisin, Tk-SP showed a broad substrate specificity and was highly thermostable. Its optimum temperature for activity was approximately 100 degrees C and its half-life at 100 degrees C was 100 min. It was fully resistant to treatment with 5% SDS, 8 M urea or 10% Triton X-100. However, unlike Tk-subtilisin and bacterial subtilisins, Tk-SP requires neither Ca2+ nor propeptide for folding. As a result, Tk-SP was fully active even in the presence of 10 mM EDTA. Thus, Tk-SP has a great advantage over other proteases in high resistance to heat, denaturants, detergents and chelating agents and therefore has great potential for application in biotechnology fields.