Production of Proteases from Shellfish Chitin Wastes by Bacillus Cereus

Abstract

Two extracellular proteases (FI and FII) were purified from the culture supernatant of Bacillus cereus YQ308. The molecular weights of FI and FII were 29,000 and 50,000, respectively, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of FI were pH 7, 50°C; those of FII were pH8, 50°C. Antifungal activity of FI protease was found when using assay based upon inhibition of spores germination and hyphal extension of the fungal Pythium ultimum. This is the first report of the isolation of an antifungal protease from Bacillus species.