Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356833
Research Project: Molecular Characterization of Foodborne Pathogen Responses to Stress

Location: Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens

Title: Purification and characterization of the thermostable metalloprotease produced by Serratia grimesii isolated from channel catfish

Author
item ACCUMANNOLA, GINA - Delaware State University
item RICHARDS, VANESSA - Delaware State University
item Gunther, Nereus - Jack
item LEE, JUNG-LIM - Delaware State University

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2018
Publication Date: 12/18/2018
Citation: Accumannola, G.M., Richards, V.A., Gunther, N.W., Lee, J. 2018. Purification and characterization of the thermostable metalloprotease produced by Serratia grimesii isolated from channel catfish. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 99:2428-2437. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9451.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9451

Interpretive Summary: A large percentage of the fish harvested annually for human consumption are lost to spoilage before they can be successfully delivered to consumers. In an effort to understand the ways in which bacterial contribute to this costly spoilage of fishery products, a common spoilage bacteria was isolated from a fish product. This bacteria was analyzed and found to produce a unique protease. A protease is an enzyme that is capable of breaking down a range of proteins including those comprising fish meat. This protease was purified and a series of experiments were performed to identify different common factors and conditions that may enhance the protease’s ability to break down proteins as well as things that can stop the protease from being able to break down proteins. In this way we are able to identify conditions that may allow the bacteria by means of this protease to more rapidly spoil fish products. Conversely, by identifying ways to inactivate this protease we can design interventions to protect fish products from this bacteria and its protease, thereby extending the time in which this product can be delivered to consumers in a safe and edible state.

Technical Abstract: Microbial spoilage of fishery products account for significant financial losses each year on a global-scale. Psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria often secrete extracellular enzymes to break-down surrounding fish tissue, rendering the product unsuitable for human consumption. For a better understanding of bacterial spoilage due to enzymatic digestions of fish products, the extracellular proteases in S. grimesii D-28 isolated from North American catfish fillets (Ictalurus punctatus) were investigated.