Bacillus subtilis IMRUZ-7 - THE ACTIVE PRODUCER OF ALCALINE PROTEASE V.V. Shurigin 1 , U.R. Rajabov 1 , A.G. Abdurakhmonov 1,2 , K. Davranov 1,2 1) Institute of Microbiology of the ASc RUz, Tashkent, 100128, Uzbekistan 2) National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 100174, Uzbekistan Proteases (KF-3.4.1.) are the most important industrial enzymes. Microbial alkaline
proteases are of particular interest because they can be used in the manufacture of
detergents, food, pharmaceuticals and leather. It is known that the amount of the
produced enzyme strongly depends on the strain and its growth conditions. Among
bacteria,
Bacillus spp. are specific producers of extracellular alkaline proteases.
Microbial proteases, especially from species of the genus
Bacillus , have traditionally
occupied a dominant industrial enzyme market share in worldwide enzyme sales, being
widely used in detergent formulations.
The aim of our research was to isolate and select the most active alkaline protease-
producing bacterial strain and to study the optimal conditions for protease production by
the isolated bacterial strain.
As a result of the research, we isolated proteolytic bacteria from the soil of
slaughterhouses in the Tashkent and Bukhara regions of Uzbekistan. One of the best
alkaline protease producers, isolate IMRUZ-7, was chosen to optimize the culture
conditions for protease production. The bacterial isolate IMRUZ-7 was identified as
belonging to the species
Bacillus subtilis based on the determination of the nucleotide
sequence of the 16S rRNA gene. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolated
bacterium was deposited in GenBank under the number OP023837, and the strain itself
was named
Bacillus subtilis IMRUZ-7.
The nature of the growth of the strain
B. subtilis IMRUZ-7 on MPA: the daily culture
is grayish-white colonies, the edges of the colonies are uneven, the surface is bumpy,
the consistency is viscous. Microscopic examination revealed Gram-positive motile
rods 0.5-0.6 x 3-5 µm. The strain ferments sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, galactose,
maltose, does not ferment raffinose, rhamnose, inositol, sorbitol, dulcite. The strain
hydrolyzes starch, casein, produces catalase, reduces nitrates, forms hydrogen sulfide,
indole does not form.
It was revealed that starch is the best cheap source of carbon, and corn broth –
nitrogen for cultivation of
Bacillus subtilis IMRUZ-7 and protease production. These
components can be used as part of an inexpensive nutrient medium for the production of
protease.
The maximum growth of the strain was observed when growing in a liquid nutrient
medium with pH 8 containing starch (1%) and corn broth (0.5%) in flasks rotating at
155 rpm for 24 h at 45°C. At the same time, the optical density of the culture at a
wavelength of 600 nm was 1.306, and the protease activity was 343.236 u/ml
The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were determined to be 9.0 and
60°C, respectively. Since the thermoactivity and pH stability of proteases are of great
importance for industrial use, the enzymatic properties of the
B. subtilis IMRUZ-7
protease indicate the potential use of this bacterium and its protease for various
industrial purposes.