Characterization of actinobacterial proteases isolated from the caatinga rhizosphere

Abstract

The Caatinga, also known as semi-arid, is the only Brazilian biome, still little explored, that presents microorganisms and plant species highly resistant to the long periods of drought, commenced by the local climate. The phylum Actinobacteria can be considered as one of the most abundant in the Brazilian semiarid soil, Actinobacteria, or Actinomycetes, are gram-positive, filamentous bacteria with a high capacity to produce secondary metabolites. The soil region with the greatest presence of microorganisms is the rhizosphere, the microbiota present in the rhizosphere, as well as the plant species, presents different mechanisms of adaptation in response to the stressful conditions characteristics of this environment, which allows to infer about its important potential as a probable source of new biocatalysts in industrial processes. Enzymes, in general, began to occupy important roles in industrial products and processes, replacing the use of chemical catalysts, resulting in the reduction of time, energy and generation of tailings. Among them are the proteases, enzymes biochemically diverse, having as characteristic and attractiveness the easy manipulation and versatility of application in different areas. Nevertheless, few studies are still conducted on the biotechnological potential of these microorganisms. Given the above, the present study seeks to determine the optimal conditions of the proteolytic activity of isolated actinomycetes strains from different samples of the Brazilian Caatinga rhizosphere, of environmental and / or industrial interest. (AU)