Extracellular expression of keratinase Ker P from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in E. coli.

Keratinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa KS-1 was expressed constitutively as an extracellular protein in Escherichia coli with high specific activity of 3.7 kU/mg. It was purified fourfold as a 33 kDa monomeric protein by Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography with a recovery of 95%. It is a serine protease with optimal activity at pH 9 and 50°C. It was stable from pH 4 to 12 for 1 h with a t(1/2) of 12 min at 70°C. It hydrolyzed haemoglobin > fibrin > feather keratin > azo-casein > casein > meat protein > gelatin. Among synthetic substrates, it efficiently hydrolyzed N-Suc-ala-ala-pro-phe-pNA, N-Suc-ala-ala-ala-pNA, N-Suc-ala-ala-pro-leu-pNA and also plasmin substrate, D: -Val-Leu-Lys-pNA.