Identification of an alkaline metalloprotease produced by the hydrothermal vent bacterium Hyphomonas jannaschiana VP3

Abstract

The hydrothermal vent bacterium, Hyphomonas jannaschiana VP3, has been shown to synthesize and export a single, alkaline metalloprotease which is dependent on calcium for stability and has an approximate molecular weight of 80 kD. Synthesis of the protease is induced by peptone and repressed by ammonia and casamino acids. The H. jannaschiana protease is inactive intracellularly and was putatively shown to be processed via a signal peptidase. The protease from this bacterium is heat stable.