Biodegradation of Pine Processionary Caterpillar Silk Is Mediated by Elastase- and Subtilisin-like Proteases.

ABSTRACT: Pine processionary caterpillar nests are made from raw silk. Fibroin protein is the main component of silk which, in the case of pine processionary caterpillar, has some unusual properties such as a higher resistance to chemical hydrolysis. Isolation of microorganisms naturally present in silk nests led to identification of Bacillus licheniformis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that in a defined minimal medium were able to carry out extensive silk biodegradation. A LasB elastase-like protein from P. aeruginosa was shown to be involved in silk biodegradation. A recombinant form of this protein expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography was able to efficiently degrade silk in an in vitro assay. However, silk biodegradation by B. li

SUBMITTER: Diez-Galan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9741414 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature