Purification and partial characterization of a thiol proteinase from the thermophilic fungus Humicola lanuginosa.

An extracellular thiol proteinase was produced by the growth of a thermophilic fungus, Humicola lanuginosa, on a medium containing 2% casein, and was purified to virtual homogeneity by affinity chromatography on organomercurial columns. The essential thiol group for activity was confirmed by the inhibition of the enzyme by p-chloromercuribenzoate and mercuric ions. The enzyme, purified 27-fold from the extracellular fluid, exhibited an Mr of 23700 on gel filtration and sedimentation equilibrium. The H. lanuginosa proteinase preferentially cleaves at the C-terminal end of hydrophobic amino acid residues. This proteinase differed from the plant enzyme papain in its interaction with three affinity matrices and its substrate specificity towards synthetic substrates. This enzyme represents a unique example of a thiol proteinase obtained from a fungal source.