Production and partial characterization of an elastolytic protease of Vibrio vulnificus

Conditions are described for the production of large amounts of an extracellular elastolytic protease by Vibrio vulnificus. The yield of enzyme was maximal during the late exponential growth phase and was stable during the stationary growth phase in a medium composed of 2% Proteose Peptone and 1.5% NaCl. The protease has a molecular weight of ca. 50,500 (estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), an isoelectric point of ca. 5.8, and a pH optimum range against azocasein and elastin of pH 7 to 8. The caseinolytic and elastase activities in protease preparations partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation were inseparable by gel filtration, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. Both activities were deleteriously affected by heat, low pH, heavy-metal ions, chelating agents, reducing agents, sodium cyanide, N-bromosuccinimide, alpha-2-macroglobulin, and phosphoramidon, but were unaffected by various trypsin inhibitors, chymostatin, aprotinin, leupeptin, pepstatin A, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and N-ethylmaleimide.