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Keratinolytic proteases of Bacillus species isolated from the Amazon basin showing remarkable de-hairing activity

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Abstract

Three keratinolytic Bacillus spp. isolated from the Brazilian Amazon basin were characterized. The strains P6, P7 and P11 were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequences. P6, P7 and P11 sequences shared more than 99% similarity with B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens and B. velesensis. The keratinases produced by these bacteria were active on azokeratin and degradation of feather barbules was observed. The enzymes were inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor PMSF, and showed maximum activity at pH 9.0. Proteins like albumin, casein and gelatin were hydrolysed by these keratinases. Depilatory studies on bovine pelts revealed that all three strains were efficient in promoting de-hairing. Microscopic analysis showed that the epidermis was completely removed and the absence of hair in follicles was observed.

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Acknowledgements

Authors thanks Dr. Spartaco Astolfi-Filho from Universidade Federal do Amazonas for kindly providing the bacterial strains. This work was supported by a grant from CNPq to A. Brandelli. F.S. Lucas and P. Heeb thank the “Fondation de Famille Sandoz” for financing their research through a professorial fellowship to P. Heeb.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Bioquímica e Microbiologia Aplicada, ICTA, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brasil

    Janice Luhering Giongo, Franciani Casarin & Adriano Brandelli

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Françoise S. Lucas & Philipp Heeb

  3. Cereve, UPVM-Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, F-94010, Créteil Cedex, France

    Françoise S. Lucas

  4. Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier III, 118 Route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France

    Philipp Heeb

Authors
  1. Janice Luhering Giongo
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  2. Françoise S. Lucas
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  3. Franciani Casarin
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  4. Philipp Heeb
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  5. Adriano Brandelli
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Correspondence to Adriano Brandelli.

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Giongo, J.L., Lucas, F.S., Casarin, F. et al. Keratinolytic proteases of Bacillus species isolated from the Amazon basin showing remarkable de-hairing activity. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 23, 375–382 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-006-9234-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-006-9234-1

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