Effects of various substances on the binding of keratin monomers to S. maltophilia DHHJ cells to induce keratinase production

Abstract

Abstract Keratin monomers from feathers or produced by gene overexpression can induce S. maltophilia DHHJ to produce keratinase, and there isn`t the capability of several kinds of proteases degrade keratin fragments and cysteine. FITC-labeled keratin was incubated with S. maltophilia DHHJ cells with or without BSA, DNA, ATP and metal ions, and the fluorescence values and the activity of keratinase were measured. BSA competed with keratin for cell binding sites, and in its presence, cells produced less keratinase. DNA did not compete with keratin for cell binding, and cells produced keratinase in normal amounts. Both ATP and metal ions increased the ability of the cells to bind keratin and improve the capacity of the cells to produce keratinase.