Wool-associated proteolytic bacteria, isolated from Portuguese Merino breed

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

A. Catarina Queiroga (Author) Other; Manuela E. Pintado (Author) Other; F. Xavier Malcata (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Small Ruminant Research

Vol. 109 No. 1

Pages: 38-46

ISSN: 0921-4488

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 2 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-22D

DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.09.005

Abstract (EN): The main purpose of this study was to isolate and briefly characterize proteolytic bacteria from a poorly known habitat - raw wool. Fleece samples were accordingly collected from Merino raw wool - a Portuguese ewe breed, at three distinct areas of their body, from animals exhibiting no symptoms or signs of abnormalities; they were then subjected to enumeration and isolation of a total of 158 bacterial strains. Said isolates were screened for protease activity, using the spot technique, on Calcium Caseinate Agar containing 1% (w/v) skim milk. The 36 isolates displaying the highest protease activity underwent a more refined assessment of enzymatic performance - by examining their cell-free supernatant extracts, using casein as substrate. Two Bacillus isolates were eventually chosen owing to their highest proteolytic activities (24.6 and 15.9. U/mL), and identified using molecular biology tools.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9