Psychrophilic protease and psychrophilic bacteria

摘要

A novel psychrophilic protease and a microorganism having the psychrophilic protease producing ability are disclosed. The protease acts on and decomposes casein and dimethylcasein but not on ribonuclease, has an optimal temperature of about 40 DEG C. Under the condition of storage at pH 7 for 1 hour, it is inactivated scarcely at a temperature up to 30 DEG C, but at 40 DEG C it loses about 40 % of the activity. At 50 DEG C, the protease is rapidly inactivated so that the activity is completely abolished in about 15 minutes. Flavobacterium balustinum having the protease producing ability is also disclosed.