Proteolytic activities of a rumen bacterium, Bacteroides ruminicola R8/4.

Proteolysis of leaf Fraction 1 protein, casein, azocasein and bovine serum albumin by the cell-associated proteinases of the rumen bacterium Bacteroides ruminicola R8/4 was investigated and the kinetic parameters Vmax and Km were evaluated for each substrate. A variety of proteinase inhibitors was used to show that the proteolytic activity comprises a mixture of at least three different classes of proteinase. With respect to substrate specificity and some inhibition characteristics, the proteolytic activity of B. ruminicola R8/4 was similar to that of rumen contents.