Skip to main content

Expression, purification, and characterization of a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

The gene coding for a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus was expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104, under the control of the sacB gene promoter. This was followed by either the native signal peptide sequence of this protease or the signal peptide sequence of the sacB gene. The protease was purified 3.8-fold, with a specific activity of 16530 U mg−1. As analyzed by SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of the expressed protease was about 35 kDa, and the optimal temperature and pH of the protease were 65°C and 7.5, respectively. Moreover, it still had about 80% activity after 1 h reaction at 65 °C.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  1. Nascimento W C A, Martins M L L. Production and properties of an extracellular protease from thermophilic Bacillus sp. Braz J Microbiol, 2004, 35: 1–2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Pastor M D, Lorda G S, Balatti A. Protease obtention using Bacillus subtilis 3411 and amaranth seed meal medium at different aeration rates. Braz J Microbiol, 2001, 32: 1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ward O P. Proteolytic Enzymes. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1985, 789–818

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sookkheo B, Sinchaikul S, Phutrakul S, et al. Purification and characterization of the highly thermostable proteases from Bacillus stearothermophilus TLS33. Protein Expr Purif, 2000, 20: 142–151

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Oledzka G., Dabrowski S, Kur J. High-level expression, secretion, and purification of the thermostable aqualysin I from Thermus aquaticus YT-1 in Pichia pastoris. Protein Expr Purif, 2003, 29: 223–229

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ferrero M A, Castro G R, Abate C M, et al. Thermostable alkaline protease of Bacillus licheniformis MIR29: isolation, production and characterization. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 1996, 45: 327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kumar C G. Purification and characterization of a thermostable alkaline protease from alkalophilic Bacillus pumilus. Lett Appl Microbiol, 2002, 34: 13–17

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hyenung J J, Byoung C K, Yu R P, et al. A novel subtilisn-like serine protease from Thermoanerobacter yonseiensis KB-1: Its cloning, expression, and biochemical properties. Extremophiles, 2002, 6: 233–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Helmann J D. Compilation and analysis of Bacillus subtilis σA-dependent promoter sequences: Evidence for extended contact between RNA polymerase and upstream promoter DNA. Nucleic Acids Res, 1995, 23: 2351–2360

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Van den Burg B, Eijsink V G H, Veltman O R, et al. Evolution reversed: Engineering an enzyme to resist boiling. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1998, 95: 2056–2060

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Rao M B, Tankasale A M, Ghatge M S, et al. Molecular and biotechnological aspects of microbial proteases. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev, 1998, 62: 597–634

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Fujii M, Takagi M, Imanaka T, et al. Molecular cloning of a thermostable neutral protease gene from Bacillus stearothermophilus in a vector plasmid and its expression in Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol, 1983, 154: 831–837

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Huang G R, Ying T J, Huo P, et al. Purification and characterization of a protease from Thermophilic bacillus strain HS08. Afr J Biotechnol, 2006, 5(24): 2433–2438

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Doi R H, Wong S L, Kawamura F. Potential use of Bacillus subtilis for secretion and production of foreign proteins. Trends Biotechnol, 1986, 4: 232–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goeddle D V. Expression in B. subtilis. Meth Enzymol, 1990, 85: 199–228

    Google Scholar 

  16. Behnke D, Gerlach D. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus sanguis of a gene for staphylokinase, a bacterial plasminogen activator. Mol Gen Genet, 1987, 210: 528–534

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Sambrook J, Fritsch E F, Maniatis T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2nd ed. New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  18. Chang S, Cohen S N. High-frequency transformation of Bacillus subtilis protoplast by plasmid DNA. Mol Gen Genet, 1979, 168: 111–115

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ledoux M, Lamy F. Determination of proteins and sulfobetaine with the folin-phenol reagent. Anal Biochem, 1986, 157: 28–31

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kubo M, Imanaka T. Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the highly thermostable neutral protease gene from Bacillus stearothermophilus. J Gen Microbiol, 1988, 134(7): 1883–1892

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Priest F G. Extracellular enzyme synthesis in the genus Bacillus. J Bacteriol, 1977, 41: 711–753

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ayusawa D, Yoneda Y, Yamane K, et al. Pleiotropic phenomena in autolytic enzyme(s) content, flagellation, and simultaneous hyperproduction of extracellular α-amylase and protease in a Bacillus subtilis mutant. Bacteriol, 1975, 124: 459–469

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Jacobs M F. Expression of the subtilisin Carlsberg-encoding gene in Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis. Gene, 1995, 152: 69–74

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Pan X F. Effects of degU32(Hy), degQa and degR pleiotropic regulatory genes on the growth and protease fermentation of Bacillus Subtilis Ki-2-132. Acta Genet Sin, 2006, 33: 373–380

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lu FuPing.

Additional information

Supported by the “863” High-Tech Research Project of China (Grant No. 2007AA 02Z212)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, M., Zhao, C., Du, L. et al. Expression, purification, and characterization of a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus subtilis . Sci. China Ser. C-Life Sci. 51, 52–59 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-008-0009-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-008-0009-9

Keywords

  • Bacillus subtilis
  • thermophilic neutral protease
  • expression
  • purification
  • characterization