The effect of calcium on stability of Thermolysin

Thermolysin is a thermostable protease produced by Bacillus thermoproteolyticus. This enzyme is industrially applicable especially for peptide synthesis. Due to industrial applications، numerous investigations have been performed on thermolysin. In the present study، the role of calcium on thermal، acidic pH، denaturant (urea and SDS) and salt stabilities was studied. In the absence of calcium، t1/2 at 80، 85 and 90 ÛC was 7، 3 and 1 min، respectively. However، in the presence of 10 mM calcium، t1/2 at the same temperatures was >95، 45 and 16 min، respectively. On the other hand، calcium had marginal effect on the pH stability of enzyme. The analyses revealed that SDS and urea contrarily affect on the enzyme stability. The concentration of SDS by which the enzyme activity diminished by half was 0. 1 and 0. 9 (%W/V) in the presence and absence of calcium، respectively. Oppositely، urea did not reduced and even promoted the enzyme activity in both conditions. Stability of thermolysin in NaCl up to 3M was slightly increased in the presence of calcium while slightly decreased in the absence of calcium. At higher concentrations of NaCl، however، the stability was decreased in both conditions. These results reveal that thermal and SDS stability of thermolysin are strongly Ca-dependent، stability against NaCl and urea are moderately Ca-dependent، and its acidic pH stability is Ca-independent.