Solubilization of Feather Keratin by a Copper-amine Complex

Chicken feather keratin was solubilized by cupri-ethylenediamine treatment and the solubilized products were separated into acidic and basic fractions by ion exchangers. In the solubilized products which had a molecular weight between 10,000 and 60,000, all the original cystine residues disappeared and cysteic acid residues were recovered instead of them but partly. The cupri-ethylenediamine reagent which catalyzed air-oxidation of cystine residues in keratin was removable mostly from the products by dialysis against water. The common copper-amine complexes were ineffective to solubilize feather keratin except for Schweitzer’s reagent. One strongly basic, unusual amino acid was detected in the basic solubilized fraction. This amino acid was eluted after arginine by usual column chromatography.     

Studies on the Structure of Feather Keratin: II. A β-Helix Model for the Structure of Feather Keratin

The assumption that the proline residues in feather keratin, which comprise 12 per cent of the total, are periodically located along the polypeptide chain is shown to lead to an essentially unique structure for this fibrous protein. The structure is based on a β-helix; i.e., an extended chain which coils slowly to form a helix of relatively large pitch. Such helices tend to aggregate by hydrogen bonding to form cylindrical units, which in turn can aggregate further into cable-like structures. This model has been tested with respect to its predictions concerning the x-ray diffraction pattern, infrared spectrum, mechanical properties, and chemical behavior of feather keratin. Preliminary results indicate that it is better capable of accounting for the data than previously proposed structures.     

Keratinase of Doratomyces microsporus

 The fungus Doratomyces microsporus produced an extracellular keratinase during submerged aerobic cultivation in a medium containing a protein inducer for enzyme synthesis. The keratinase was purified to homogeneity using hydrophobic interaction chromatography followed by gel chromatography. The molecular weight was estimated to be 33 kDa (from SDS-PAGE analysis) or 30 kDa (by gel chromatography), suggesting a monomeric structure. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was determined to be around 9. The optimal pH and temperature for keratinolytic activity were pH 8–9 and 50 °C, respectively. The serine protease inhibitor PMSF totally inhibited the keratinase. The enzyme was not glycosylated. It was capable of hydrolysing different keratinous materials as well as some non-keratinous proteins. Hydrolysis of some synthetic substrates, specific for known proteinases, suggested that the keratinase of D. microsporus is close to proteinase K. Received: 9 July 1999 / Received revision: 13 September 1999 / Accepted: 17 September 1999     

Keratinase Production by Newly Isolated Antarctic Actinomycete Strains

Summary The ability of actinomycete strains newly isolated from Antarctic soils to produce keratinolytic enzymes during growth on sheep wool waste was investigated. The strains which displayed highest keratinase activity and identified as Streptomyces flavis 2BG (mesophilic) and Microbispora aerata IMBAS-11A (thermophilic) were selected for a more detailed analysis. The addition of starch to the growth medium affected keratinase secretion by both strains. After 5 days of cultivation, a 6-fold increase in keratinase activity of strain 11A was observed in the presence of 11 g starch/l and a 9-fold increase in keratinase activity of the strain 2BG in the presence of 5 g starch/l. The results obtained showed that both newly isolated strains are very promising for effective processing of native keratinous wastes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Antarctic actinomycete strains that were able to grow on keratin-containing wastes by producing keratinolytic enzymes.     

Studies on the Structure of Feather Keratin: I. X-Ray Diffraction Studies and Other Experimental Data

Previous data as well as new results are examined with a view to determining the boundary conditions which present experimental information places on a satisfactory polypeptide chain model for the structure of feather keratin. Our studies indicate these conditions to include the following: (1) A 189 A identity period, with a pseudoidentity of 94.5 A; (2) characteristic fiber axis periodicities of 23.6₄, A and 18.9 A; (3) a meridian reflection of 2.96 A, but none in the 1.0 A region; (4) a strong, but sensitive, equatorial reflection of about 33 A spacing, with a possible equatorial reflection near 50 A; (5) perpendicular infrared dichroism of v (NH) of at least 5:1; (6) a limited extensibility along the fiber axis direction; (7) the natural accommodation of about 12 per cent of proline residues in the structure; (8) the possibility of breaking down the structure into units of about 10,000 molecular weight. The implications of these conditions with respect to a satisfactory model are considered.     

Keratinase of a streptomycete.

Keratinase produced from Streptomyces Sp.A11 decomposed human hair, chicken feather, wool, silk and pure keratin extracted from human epidermis. Purification of the enzyme by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography resulted in 7.5-fold increase in activity relative to the activity of the culture filtrate. The enzyme was inducible, extracellular, homogeneous with a molecular weight of 49,000. The enzyme activity was inhibited by reduced glutathione, phenylmethyl sulphonyl fluoride and 2-mercaptoethanol.     

Stability and Stabilisation of Doratomyces microsporus Keratinase

Thermal and pH stabilities of a new crude keratinase ( Doratomyces microsporus ) were investigated in the ranges of 20-40°C and pH 4-10, respectively. The stability test was followed by activity measurement on two different substrates: human stratum corneum and haemoglobin. Activity measurement lasted more than 100 h. The effect of calcium ions on enzyme stability was also studied. Crude keratinase was stabilised by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (GA). The same characteristics were determined for Proteinase K, the commercial enzyme, for comparative purposes. Crude keratinase was most stable at pH 8 in Tris/HCl and borate buffers. The type of buffer used proved to have higher effect on crude keratinase stability than on Proteinase K. Both enzymes were most stable at 20°C. Keratinase stability rapidly decreased at 40°C while Proteinase K showed higher thermal stability. A 1 mM solution of Ca 2+ ions did not significantly influence enzyme stability, but 2.5% GA solution stabilised crude keratinase at 40°C reducing the k d value by about 50%. Crude and crosslinked crude keratinase were used for crude calf skin degradation. A mathematical model, based on Michaelis-Menten kinetics, was developed to describe the crude calf skin degradation in a batch reactor. Validation of the model showed that it could describe the process over a defined range of its conditions.     

Sedimentation Studies of Epidermal Keratins. Keratin A and Keratin B

Electrophoretically homogeneous keratin A and keratin B were studied in the ultracentrifuge. Both preparations revealed two fractions: one which sedimented rapidly and another which sedimented slowly. This indicated that both preparations are heterogeneous with respect to particle size.     

Feather degradation by Kocuria rosea in submerged culture

A strain of Kocuria rosea with keratinolytic activity was studied. In batch culture, the optimum temperature for feather degradation, bacterial growth and protease secretion was at 40 °C. A specific growth rate of 0.17 h⁻¹ was attained in basal medium with feathers as fermentation substrate. Under these conditions, after 36 h of incubation, biomass and caseinolytic activity reached 3.2 g/l and 0.15 U/ml, respectively. Extracellular protease secretion was associated with the exponential growth phase. In batch fermentation, feather degradation up to 51% in 72 h was obtained with a conversion yield in biomass of 0.32 g/g. No organic acids were detected in the fermentation broth in significant amount. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hydrolysis of poly-L-lysine by pronase

Pronase E is able to hydrolyze poly-L -lysine in 100% yield into the monomer L -lysine. The experiments show an intermediate production of tri-L -lysine and di-L -lysine that are clipped off from the polymeric peptide. During the hydrolytic process a number of characteristic amino acids are released from the enzyme that may indicate its activation. Amino acids as well as mono-L -lysine are decomposed by pronase E after a period of several days.     

Purification and Characterisation of Keratinase from a Thermotolerant Feather-degrading Bacterium

Summary Isolation and identification of a thermotolerant feather-degrading bacterial strain from Thai soil as well as purification and properties of its keratinase were investigated. The thermotolerant bacterium was identified as Bacillus licheniformis. The keratinase was purified to homogeneity by three-step chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited a high specific activity (218 U mg⁻¹) with 86-fold purification and 25% yield. The enzyme was monomeric and had a molecular mass of 35 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme were 8.5 and 60 °C, respectively. The enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by PMSF and partly inhibited by EDTA and iodoacetamide, but was stimulated by metal ions. It hydrolysed soluble proteins with a relative activity of 4–100% and insoluble proteins, including keratins, with a relative activity of 3–35%. Therefore, the enzyme could improve the nutritional value of meat- and poultry-processing wastes containing keratins, collagen and gelatin.     

固定化细胞合成生物表面活性剂鼠李糖脂的研究

从石油受污环境中分离筛选得到一株高产鼠李糖脂(rhamnolipid,RL)的假单胞菌(Pseudomonas sp.)B3。在游离细胞合成鼠李糖脂的基础上,应用包埋与交联相结合的复合固定化方法制备出性能优良的固定化细胞。以二次回归方程预测模型为基础,对发酵条件进行优化,得到B3固定化细胞合成RL的最优条件为:接种量15%,初始pH 7.0,合成温度38℃,120r·min-1振荡培养100h,RL的产量达到4 843.25mg·L-1,比游离细胞提高56.42%。制备的固定化细胞连续使用3个发酵周期,RL的产量均保持在4 517.75mg·L-1以上,说明B3固定化细胞具有用于连续发酵合成RL的可行性。     

家蚕丝素凝胶固定化细胞生产L-丙氨酸的研究

把家蚕丝素制成丝素溶液,加入工程菌混匀凝固后用戊二醛交联固定,制成固定化细胞丝素凝胶,利用工程菌把底物L天门冬氨酸转化成L丙氨酸。实验结果表明,通过控制底物的流速,可使转化率达到96%以上,在转化率为96%时达到最大转化效率,产量为3.42g/h。连续使用1个月转化原活力仍保持在92%以上。     

Hydrolysis of Irradiated Ovalbumin by Pepsin

Solid ovalbumin has been irradiated at three doses, 6.5, 25, and 40 megarads, under high vacuum. The native and irradiated samples have been hydrolyzed at pH 1.4 by pepsin, after centrifugation of the aggregates, if necessary. The number of bonds broken per ovalbumin molecule has been estimated by comparing the rate of protein destruction with the rate of formation of NH₂ groups. Both rates increase very much with the dose, but the number of bonds broken decreases. Sedimentation measurements show a strong shape modification of the soluble fraction in the case of the 25 and 40 megarad samples. The increase in asymmetry is bound to the increase in the rate of attack on γ-irradiated ovalbumin by pepsin. Infrared spectra of the aggregates show small difference from those of the native samples.     

Hydrolysis of polyesters by serine proteases

The substrate specificity of -chymotrypsin and other serine proteases, trypsin, elastase, proteinase K and subtilisin, towards hydrolysis of various polyesters was examined using poly(L-lactide) (PLA), poly(-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBS/A), poly[oligo(tetramethylene succinate)-co-(tetramethylane carbonate)] (PBS/C), and poly(-caprolactone) (PCL). -Chymotrypsin could degrade PLA and PEA with a lower activity on PBS/A. Proteinase K and subtilisin degraded almost all substrates other than PHB. Trypsin and elastase had similar substrate specificities to -chymotrypsin.