Partial Purification and Characterization of an Extracellular Protease from Xenorhabdus nematophilus a Symbiotic Bacterium Isolated from an Entomopathogenic Nematode, Steinernema glaseri

Entomopathogenic nematodes are used for insect control. Herein, an extracellular protease was partially purified from a culture supernatant of Xenorhabdus nematophilus, a symbiotic bacterium of an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema glaseri: using precipitation with $80\%$ v/v isopropyl alcohol followed by gel permeation chromatography with a packed Sephacryl S-300 HR media. The partially purified protease exhibited maximal activity at pH 7 in the presence of 1 mM $CaCl_2$. The protease was identified as a metallo-protease based on the inhibition of its activity by the metal chelating agent, EDTA.