Screening, characterization, and cloning of a solvent-tolerant protease from Serratia marcescens MH6

A solvent-tolerant bacterium strain, MH6, was isolated by hydrophilic organic solvent DMSO enrichment in the medium and identified as Serratia marcescens. The extracellular protease with novel organic-solvent-stable properties from strain MH6 was purified and characterized. The molecular mass of the purified protease was estimated to be 52 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The open reading frame (ORF) of the MH6 protease encoded 504 amino acids with 471 amino acid residues in the mature protease. Based on the inhibitory effects of EDTA and 1,10-phenathroline, the MH6 protease was characterized as a metalloproteinase. The enzyme activity was increased in the presence of Ni²+, Mg²+, and Ca²+. The protease could also be activated by the nonionic surfactants Tween 80 (1.0%) and Triton X-100 (1.0%). The protease showed remarkable solvent stability in the presence of 50% (v/v) solutions of long-chain alkanes and long-chain alcohols. It was also fairly stable in the presence of 25% solutions of hydrophilic organic solvents. Owing to its high stability in solvents and surfactants, the MH6 protease is an ideal candidate for applications in organic catalysis and other related fields.