Application

Protease from Bacillus licheniformis has been used to digest the neurolemma in the antennal lobe of the moth; Heliothis virescens.

Protease is an enzyme used to break down proteins by hydrolyzing peptide bonds. Protease is used to degrade proteins, to study protease inhibitors and to study thermal inactivation kinetics. Protease is used in nucleic acid isolation procedures in incubations. Protease from Bacillus licheniformis, product P5459, has been used to hydrolyze muscle during the isolation of mitochondria from skeletal muscle.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Protease catabolizes proteins by hydrolysis of peptide bonds. Proteases are inactivated by serine active-site inhibitors, such as phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and diisopropylfluorophosphate.

General description

The enzyme hydrolyzes gelatin optimally at 50 °C over the range of pH 8-10. It is stable between pH 6-10 at 50 °C. Commercially, it is used in laundry detergent formulations and also for the recovery of silver from photographic emulsions.

Packaging

5 g in glass bottle

Package size based on protein content.

Unit Definition

One unit will hydrolyze casein to produce color equivalent to 1.0 µmole (181 µg) of tyrosine per min at pH 7.5 at 37 °C (color by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent), unless otherwise indicated.