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Biochemical characterization of a surfactant-stable keratinase purified from Proteus vulgaris EMB-14 grown on low-cost feather meal

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Abstract

Objectives

The bioaccumulation of keratinous wastes from poultry and dairy industries poses a danger of instability to the biosphere due to resistance to common proteolysis and as such, microbial- and enzyme-mediated biodegradation are discussed.

Results

In submerged fermentation medium, Proteus vulgaris EMB-14 utilized and efficiently degraded feather, fur and scales by secreting exogenous keratinase. The keratinase was purified 14-fold as a monomeric 49 kDa by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 anion exchange and Sephadex G-100 size-exclusion chromatography. It exhibited optimum activity at pH 9.0 and 60 °C and was alkaline thermostable (pH 7.0–11.0), retaining 87% of initial activity after 1 h pre-incubation at 60 °C. The Km and Vmax of the keratinase with keratin azure were respectively 0.283 mg/mL and 0.241 U/mL/min. Activity of P. vulgaris keratinase was stimulated by Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Na+ and maintained in the presence of some denaturing agents, except β-mercaptoethanol while Cu2+ and Pb2+ showed competitive and non-competitive inhibition with Ki 6.5 mM and 17.5 mM, respectively.

Conclusion

This purified P. vulgaris keratinase could be surveyed for the biotechnological transformation of bioorganic keratinous wastes into valuable products such as soluble peptides, cosmetics and biodegradable thermoplastics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Enzymology and Microbial Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, The Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria

    Michael O. Babalola, Adeyemi O. Ayodeji, Olufemi S. Bamidele & Joshua O. Ajele

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  1. Michael O. Babalola
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  2. Adeyemi O. Ayodeji
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  3. Olufemi S. Bamidele
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  4. Joshua O. Ajele
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of experiments; MOB and AOA performed the experiments; OSB and AOA analysed the data; OSB and JOA contributed to writing the manuscript and all authors approved the final version of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Adeyemi O. Ayodeji.

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Babalola, M.O., Ayodeji, A.O., Bamidele, O.S. et al. Biochemical characterization of a surfactant-stable keratinase purified from Proteus vulgaris EMB-14 grown on low-cost feather meal. Biotechnol Lett 42, 2673–2683 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-020-02976-0

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