Abstract
Many microorganisms have been studied for their ability to produce keratinolytic enzymes, among which are basidiomycetes fungi. This paper describes, for the first time, the keratinolytic activity of a protease from Pleurotus pulmonarius, a white rot wood fungus, both in vivo and in vitro, using hair as substrate. The fungus was grown in solid medium containing hair and the production of a protease of 16 kDa with keratinolytic activity was confirmed by solid-state culture. In vitro, tests showed that the protease was able to act on different keratinous substrates. Regarding SEM-EDS, morphological changes were seen in the treated samples with P. pulmonarius in relation to the control, whereas in the FTIR, these alterations were visualized in the spectral regions of the 1044 cm−1 and 1200-400 cm−1, indicating sulfitolysis, which occurs due to the keratinolytic activity of the protease from the fungus P. pulmonaris and consequent degradation of the capillary fibers.
Published Version
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