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A Tropical Composting Operation Unit at São Paulo Zoo as a Source of Bacterial Proteolytic Enzymes

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Abstract

Composting operation systems are valuable sources of microorganisms and enzymes. This work reports the assessment of proteolytic enzymes from cultivable bacteria isolated from a composting facility of the São Paulo Zoo Park (SPZPF), São Paulo, Brazil. Three hundred bacterial isolates were obtained and identified based on 16S rRNA gene as belonging to 13 different genera. The most common genus among the isolates was Bacillus (67%); some of which show high proteolytic activity in their culture media. Biochemical assays of hydrolytic activities using FRET peptides as substrates allowed the characterization of a repertoire of serine proteases and metalloproteases with different molecular weights secreted by Bacillus strains isolated from composting. Furthermore, thermostable serine and metalloproteases were detected in the composting leachate, which might be of interest for industrial applications.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Brazilian research agencies Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP—Projects 12/50191-4R, 2013/12106-8, 2014/07037-0, and 2011/06548-2) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq—Projects 471340/2011-1 and 470388/2010-2). The authors would like to thank Paulo Magalhães Bressan (Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo) for providing access to the composting facility.

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Author notes

  1. Rafael C. S. Rocha

    Present address: Stoller do Brasil, Rod SP 332, Km 138, s/n., Cosmópolis, 13150-000, Brazil

  2. Patrícia L. Ramos and Márcia Y. Kondo contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, São Paulo, SP, 04044-20, Brazil

    Patrícia L. Ramos, Márcia Y. Kondo, Saara M. B. Santos, Rafael C. S. Rocha, Maria A. Juliano, Luiz Juliano & Luciana T. D. Cappelini

  2. Applied Research Department, São Paulo Zoo Park Foundation, Avenida Miguel Estéfano, São Paulo, SP, 4241, Brazil

    Patrícia L. Ramos & João B. da Cruz

  3. Department of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Arthur Riedel, 275, Diadema, SP, 09972-270, Brazil

    Suzan P. de Vasconcellos

  4. Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos, SP, 13560-970, Brazil

    Patrícia F. M. Eugenio

  5. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n°, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil

    Hamilton Cabral

  6. Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil

    João C. Setubal & Aline M. da Silva

Authors
  1. Patrícia L. Ramos
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  2. Márcia Y. Kondo
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  3. Saara M. B. Santos
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  8. Hamilton Cabral
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  9. Maria A. Juliano
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  13. Luciana T. D. Cappelini
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Correspondence to Luciana T. D. Cappelini.

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Ramos, P.L., Kondo, M.Y., Santos, S.M.B. et al. A Tropical Composting Operation Unit at São Paulo Zoo as a Source of Bacterial Proteolytic Enzymes. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 187, 282–297 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-018-2810-7

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