Different sensitivity of recombinant Aspergillus niger phytase (r-PhyA) and Escherichia coli pH 2.5 acid phosphatase (r-AppA) to trypsin and pepsin in vitro.

Proteolysis of two purified recombinant enzymes, namely, the Aspergillus niger phytase (r-PhyA) and the Escherichia coli pH 2.5 acid phosphatase (r-AppA), by pepsin and trypsin was investigated in this study. After r-PhyA and r-AppA were incubated with different concentrations of pepsin or trypsin, their residual phytase activities and amounts of inorganic phosphorus released from soybean meal were determined. Both enzymes retained more than 85% of their original activities at the trypsin/phytase ratios (w/w) 0.001 and 0. 005, while r-AppA and r-PhyA lost 60 and 20% of the original activity at the ratio of 0.01 or 0.025, respectively. In contrast, there was a 30% increase in phytase activity after r-AppA was incubated with pepsin at the ratios of 0.005 or 0.01. Meanwhile, r-PhyA lost 58 to 77% of its original activity under the same conditions. Trypsin and pepsin affected the hydrolysis of phytate phosphorus from soybean meal by r-AppA and r-PhyA in a similar way to their residual phytase activities. All of these in vitro proteolyses were confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. Our results demonstrate different sensitivities of r-AppA and r-PhyA to trypsin and pepsin, suggesting active trypsin resistant r-PhyA and pepsin resistant r-AppA polypeptides.