• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1385-1394
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• 2024

Collagenolytic proteases are widely used in the food, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries. Mesophilic collagenases exhibit collagenolytic activity under physiological conditions, but have limitations in efficiently degrading collagen-rich wastes, such as collagen from fish scales, at high temperatures due to their poor thermostability. Bacterial collagenolytic proteases are members of various proteinase families, including the bacterial collagenolytic metalloproteinase M9 and the bacterial collagenolytic serine proteinase families S1, S8, and S53. Notably, the C-terminal domains of collagenolytic proteases, such as the pre-peptidase C-terminal domain, the polycystic kidney disease-like domain, the collagen-binding domain, the proprotein convertase domain, and the β-jelly roll domain, exhibit collagen-binding or -swelling activity. These activities can induce conformational changes in collagen or the enzyme active sites, thereby enhancing the collagen-degrading efficiency. In addition, thermostable bacterial collagenolytic proteases can function at high temperatures, which increases their degradation efficiency since heat-denatured collagen is more susceptible to proteolysis and minimizes the risk of microbial contamination. To date, only a few thermophile-derived collagenolytic proteases have been characterized. TSS, a thermostable and halotolerant subtilisin-like serine collagenolytic protease, exhibits high collagenolytic activity at 60℃. In this review, we present and summarize the current research on A) the classification and nomenclature of thermostable and mesophilic collagenolytic proteases derived from diverse microorganisms, and B) the functional roles of their C-terminal domains. Furthermore, we analyze the cleavage specificity of the thermostable collagenolytic proteases within each family and comprehensively discuss the thermostable collagenolytic protease TSS.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2005

Beauveria bassiana F-101, which has high toxicity toward Acantholyda parki as well as Thecodiplosis japonensis, was an isolate to develop an alternative control system against the major forest pests. Up to now, in B. bassiana, only one pr1 gene has been isolated and characterized. Therefore, we here reported the identification of a pr1-like gene, which would be a factor of toxicity from B. bassiana F-101. The oligonucleotides for the amplification of the pr1-like gene, were chosen based on the conserved regions of the subtilisin family enzymes, pr1 genes of B. bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, and proteinase K of Tritirachium album. The cloned PCR fragment had 1111 bp including 52 bp intron. The deduced Pr1-like peptide showed a low identity with Pr1s of entomopathogenic fungi such as B. bassiana Pr1 (BbPr1) and M. anisopliae Pr1 (MaPr1) as well as the proteinase K of T. album (TaPrK). Instead, the deduced peptide had a substantially high amino acid sequence identity $(>65\%)$ with the serine proteases of Magnaporthe grisea (MgSPM1) and Podospora anserina (PaPspA). These results, therefore, appear to suggest that the putative Pr1-like peptide of B. bassiana F-101 belongs to the subtilisin-like serine protease family and may be a novel gene.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.622-631
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• 2006

In this study we purified a fibrinolytic enzyme from Cordyceps militaris using a combination of ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE Sephadex A-50 column, gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex G-75 column, and FPLC on a HiLoad 16/60 Superdex 75 column. This purification protocol resulted in a 191.8-fold purification of the enzyme and a final yield of 12.9 %. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 52 kDa by SDS-PAGE, fibrin-zymography, and gel filtration chromatography. The first 19 amino acid residues of the N-terminal sequence were ALTTQSNV THGLATISLRQ, which is similar to the subtilisin-like serine protease PR1J from Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliase. This enzyme is a neutral protease with an optimal reaction pH and temperature of 7.4 and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively. Results for the fibrinolysis pattern showed that the enzyme rapidly hydrolyzed the fibrin $\alpha$-chain followed by the $\gamma$-$\gamma$ chains. It also hydrolyzed the $\beta$-chain, but more slowly. The A$\alpha$, B$\beta$, and $\gamma$ chains of fibrinogen were also cleaved very rapidly. We found that enzyme activity was inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$, but enhanced by the additions of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$ ions. Furthermore, fibrinolytic enzyme activity was potently inhibited by PMSF and APMSF. This enzyme exhibited a high specificity for the chymotrypsin substrate S-2586 indicating it's a chymotrypsin-like serine protease. The data we present suggest that the fibrinolytic enzyme derived from the edible and medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris has fibrin binding activity, which allows for the local activation of the fibrin degradation pathway.