Minor Thermostable Alkaline Protease Produced by Thermoactinomyces sp. E79

Thermoactinomyces sp. E79 produced two types of thermostable alkaline proteases extracellularly. A minor protease was separated from a major protease by using DEAE-column chromatography. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate and DEAE-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography. The purified minor protease showed different biochemical properties compared to the major protease. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated by SDS-PAGE to be 36 kDa. Its optimum temperature and pH for proteolytic activity against Hammarsten casein were $70^{\circ}C$ and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to$75^{\circ}C$ and in an alkaline pH range of 9.0-11.0. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and $Hg^{2+}, indicating that the enzyme may be a cysteine-dependent serine protease. In addition, the enzyme cleaved the endoproteinase substrate, succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p- nitroanilide, and the $K_m$ value for the substrate was 1.2 mM.