Purification of an Aspartic Proteinase from Aspergillus Aculeatus

Abstract

Aspergilli are known to produce a number of extracellular enzymes (e.g. proteinases, carbohydrases, lipases). Several are utilized in commercial products, based on a main activity, but often containing minor side activities. Usually it is difficult to isolate small amounts of a side activity, but in such cases affinity chromatography can be a valuable tool, due to its specific action. We have succeeded in isolating a proteolytic side activity from the Aspergillus aculeatus derived carbohydrase product Viscozyme™ (Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark). The proteinase was isolated by affinity chromatography on a bacitracin matrix, and was shown to be an aspartic proteinase.