Purification and Characterization of an Intracellular Protease form Pseudomonas carboxydovorans DSM 1227 Grown on Carbon Monoxide

An intracellular protease form cells of Pseudomonas carboxydovorans DSM 1227 grown on carbon monoxide was purified 57-fold in six steps to homogeneity with a yield of 4.3% using azocoll as a substrate. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 150,000. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis revealed the purified enzyme to be a dimer with two identical subunits of molecular weight 72,000. The enzyme was stimulated by $Mg^{2+}$ but was inhibited completely by $Cd^{2+}$ $Fe^{2+}$ $Hg^{2+}$, and $^Zn{2+}$ The enzyme activity was also inhibited by EDTA, EGTA, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and phenyl glyoxal, but was increased by 1-ethyl-3(dimethyl aminopropyl fluoride, and phenyl glyoxal, but was increased by 1-ethyl-3(dimethyl aminopropyl)carbodiimide, iodoacetamide and dithiothereitol. The optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme reaction were found to be 7-8 and 50.deg.C, respectively. Casein and bovine serum albumin were hydrolyzed by the enzyme, but carbon monoxide dehydrogenase was not.