Production, Optimization and Partial Characterization of Alkaline Protease from Bacillus subtilis spp. subtilis NRRL B-3384 and B-3387

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis has been a reliable platform for the expression of extracellular proteases for several decades. Although a majority of Bacillus subtilis subspecies express proteases, the amount of secreted enzyme varies depending on the strain and environmental conditions used. Here, two Bacillus subtilis spp. subtilis strains, NRRL B-3384 and NRRL B-3387, from the ARS Culture collection (NRRL), were compared for secreted protease activity. The highest activity was found in strain NRRL B-3384, and proteolysis occurred at temperatures as high as 80°C and across a broad range of pH, with maximum activity at pH 9.0 and 60°C indicating the presence of a thermostable alkaline protease. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate protease production in Bacillus subtilis spp. subtilis strains NRRL B-3384 and B3387 and suggests that NRRL B-3384 may have utility in the production of enzymes for industrial use.

Keywords

• Bacillus subtilis
• protease
• enzyme
• activity

Thanks

Author would like to thank Dr. Hasan Buğra ÇOBAN from Dokuz Eylül University, for his helpful discussions for improving this article and Dr. İrem DENİZ CAN from Manisa Celal Bayar University for her support in laboratory facilities and equipment. Author would like to thank Prof. Dr. Theodore G. CLARK from Cornell University for his valuable comments and editing the final version of the manuscript.

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