Purification and properties of the elastase from Aspergillus fumigatus

Elastase, a potential virulence factor from the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, was purified 220-fold from culture broth by fast-performance liquid chromatography employing anion exchange (Q Sepharose fast flow), cation exchange (S Sepharose fast flow), and gel filtration (Superose 12). Purified to near homogeneity, the elastase had an apparent molecular mass of 32 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (silver stain) but a mass of about 19.1 kDa as determined by gel filtration on Superdex 75. The elastase is not glycosylated and is positively charged at neutral pH, having a pI of 8.75. Inhibition by 0.2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (100%) and 0.21 mM leupeptin (60%) implies that the elastase is a serine protease. However, the enzyme is also inhibited by 5 mM EDTA (100%) and 10 mM 1,10-orthophenanthroline (30%), suggesting a requirement for divalent cations. The enzyme acts optimally at pH 7.4 and 45 degrees C in 50 mM sodium borate buffer, but in Tris HCl, the pH optimum shifts to 8.8.