Abstract
BackgroundProteases or peptidases are an imperative class of hydrolytic enzymes capable of hydrolyzing large proteins into smaller peptides. The cold-adapted proteases show higher catalytic capacity in low temperatures as well as stability in alkaline conditions and appear as strong contenders for various applications in special industries. Main bodyIn the past few decades, the interest in cold-adapted microorganisms producing cold-adapted proteases has increased at an exciting rate, and many of them have emerged as important biotechnological and industrial candidates. Industrial proteases are largely supplied from various types of microorganisms than plant or animal sources. Among diverse microbial sources, psychrophiles and psychrotrophs inhabiting permanently or partially cold environments have appeared as rich sources of cold-adapted proteases. Short conclusionThe present review focuses on recent sources of cold-adapted protease producers along with the molecular adaptation of psychrotrophs and psychrophiles. The recent knowledge on production, kinetic properties, purification, and substrate specificity of cold-adapted proteases has been summarized. Recent advances in cold-adapted protease gene cloning and structural studies are also described. Moreover, the prospective applications of cold-adapted proteases are discussed which can help in evaluating their industrial potential.
Highlights
These cold habitats include to a great extent, oceans that envelop 70% of the Earth’s surface, polar regions contained by the Arctic circle, high peaks of Alps and rocky mountains, Himalayan regions, and different layers of Earth’s atmosphere, and to some degree—refrigerator, deep-freezers, and other cold appliances [1, 2]
Diverse sources of cold-adapted protease producing microorganisms Since the first report on protease-producing psychrophilic Escherichia freundii of soil origin [10], not many protease-producing psychrophiles and psychrotrophs were detailed until the late 1990s
Cold-adapted microbial proteases are mainly characterized by low thermostability at elevated temperatures and high catalytic effectiveness at cold temperatures at which meso-variants are not active
Summary
Most of the Earth’s biosphere is covered by cold blanket, and temperature at such cold ecosystems typically tends to be below 5 °C These cold habitats include to a great extent, oceans that envelop 70% of the Earth’s surface, polar regions contained by the Arctic circle, high peaks of Alps and rocky mountains, Himalayan regions, and different layers of Earth’s atmosphere, and to some degree—refrigerator, deep-freezers, and other cold appliances [1, 2]. All these natural and man-made habitats collectively cover 85% of the Earth and colonize a large number of cold-adapted microorganisms . Recent developments in gene cloning and structural studies of cold-adapted proteases which have proven to be one step forward in obtaining more robust proteases have been discussed (Fig. 1)
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