Researchers at The Laboratory of Enzyme Biosynthesis and Bioengineering of Kazan Federal University have published research regarding the production and characterization of enzymes. Key enzymes being evaluated are subtilisin-like proteinase, glutamyl endopeptidase, and metalloproteinase. Iuliia Danilova, who is a co-author of this new paper, characterized the biological effects of all three enzymes.
Microorganisms are a great source of enzymes owing to their variability and genetic transformability. Screening and characterizing these enzymes from different sources boost environmental and industrial applications. As a key source of proteases, microorganisms are rapidly obtained in large quantities using established fermentation methods.
There have been several studies carried out on the characterization of bacillary proteases. There are known strains of the genus Bacillus which produces proteases that degrade the β-amyloid peptide, a major factor in Alzheimer's disease. Another application of these proteases is the neutralization of biofilms. The anti-biofilm activity of bacillary proteases has been tested on bacterial biofilms. Fibrinolytic proteases are showing promise as thrombolytic therapy. The creation of drugs based on bacilli results from its ability to effectively degrade the biofilm matrix.