Proteolysis of mesophilic and thermophilic alpha-amylases: a comparative study

A comparative study was performed on limited and extensive proteolysis of mesophilic (from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens [BAA]) and thermophilic (from Bacillus licheniformis [BLA]) alpha-amylases using trypsin. As expected, the thermophilic enzyme showed greater resistance to digestion by the protease. While the catalytic potential of BLA was enhanced on proteolysis, that of BAA was diminished owing to this process. Combined with greater catalytic activity, a lower thermal stability was observed for BLA on proteolytic treatment. For both enzymes, the extent of proteolytic cleavage was reduced in the presence of various stabilizing agents. The digestion patterns are explained in terms of available information in the literature on the structure of these proteins, especially in relation to segmental mobility.