Purification and characterization of four proteases from a clinical isolate of Serratia marcescens kums 3958.

Four distinct proteases were purified to homogeneity from culture filtrates of Serratia marcescens kums 3958, a fresh isolate from a patient with a severe corneal ulcer. Purification was achieved by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, and Sephadex gel filtration chromatography. The proteases were differentiated from each other by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with or without sodium dodecyl sulfate and by immunodiffusion in agarose gels. The molecular weights of these purified proteases were estimated to be 56 X 10(3), 60 X 10(3), and 73 X 10(3) (hereafter designated 56K, 60K, and 73K proteases, respectively). The 73K protease was separated into 73Ka and 73Kb upon isoelectricfocusing. The isoelectric points of the 56K (major) and 60K, 73Ka, and 73Kb proteases (minors) were approximately 5.3, 4.4, 5.8, and 7.3, respectively. Both 56K and 60K enzymes were completely inactivated by EDTA at pH 5.0 and were reactivated by zinc ion; thus, they are metalloenzymes, whereas 73K (73Ka and 73Kb) enzymes appear to be thiol proteases. Carbohydrate, cysteine, and cystine were not detected in the 56K and 60K proteases. Amino acid compositions, partial amino acid sequence, and enzymological and immunological properties revealed that these four enzymes are distinct from each other.