Characteristics of extracellular proteases produced by Bacillus laterosporus and Flavobacterium sp. isolated from gelatinfactory effluents.

Forty bacterial isolates from the effluents of a gelatin factory (Jabalpur, India) were screened for protease activity and the two most potent producers were identified as Bacillus laterosporus and a Flavobacterium sp. The enzymes of both isolates were optimal at pH 8 and 60°C, with maximum activity after 90 min. The enzyme activity of B. laterosporus was suppressed by Fe(2+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+) and Zn(2+) ions but was enhanced by Ba(2+) and Ca(2+). That of Flavobacterium sp. was suppressed by Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) ions but enhanced by Ba(2+), Ca(2+) and Fe(2+). The enzyme activity of the former was strongly inhibited by KCN, whereas that of the latter was only slightly inhibited by 8-hydroxyquinoline.