Purification and Characterization of an Extracellular Cold-Active Protease Produced by the Psychrotrophic Bacterium serratia Sp. WJ39

Abstract

Proteases have diverse applications in a wide variety of industries, such as in detergent, leather, food, pharmaceutical and silk. The extracellular cold-active protease was purified from the psychrotrophic bacteriumSerratiasp. WJ39 from a meat factory. The protease was cold-active with a molecular mass of 47.6 kDa estimated on SDS-PAGE. It showed an optimal activity at pH of 8 and was stable at pH 6 to 10, while its optimal temperature was 37°C and it was stable at 0-25°C, even remained 35% residual activity at 0°C. The protease was totally inhibited by PMSF which was telling that the purified enzyme was a serine protease. The properties like moderate thermostability, activity in a broad pH range and resistance to metal ions make this enzyme a suitable candidate for the possible use in food and leather industry.