title: Isolation and characterization of a novel extracellular metalloprotease from Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: We have isolated and characterized two minor extracellular proteases from culture supernatants of a strain of Bacillus subtilis containing deletion mutations of the genes for the extracellular proteases subtilisin (apr) and neutral protease (npr) and a minor extracellular protease (epr) as well as intracellular serine protease-I (isp-1). Characterization studies have revealed that one of these enzymes is the previously described protease bacillopeptidase F. The second enzyme, the subject of this report, is a novel metalloprotease, which we designate Mpr. Mpr is a unique metalloprotease that has been purified to apparent homogeneity by using both conventional and high-performance liquid chromatography procedures. Mpr has a molecular mass of approximately 28 kilodaltons on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a basic isoelectric point of 8.7. The enzyme showed maximal activity against azocoll at pH 7.5 and 50 degrees C. Mpr was inhibited by dithiothreitol and a combination of beta-mercaptoethanol and EDTA. Activity was moderately inhibited by beta-mercaptoethanol and EDTA alone as well as by cysteine and citrate and only marginally by phosphoramidon 1,10-phenanthroline and N-[N-(L-3-trans-carboxyoxiran-2-carbonyl)-L-leucyl]-agmatine. Mpr was not inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. In addition, Mpr showed esterolytic but not collagenolytic activities. Our studies suggest that Mpr is a secreted metalloprotease containing cysteine residues that are required for maximal activity.
authors.affiliation: BioTechnica International, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rufo
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sloma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pero
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007700:Kinetics; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D008666:Metalloendopeptidases