Role of structural ions on the dynamics of the Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A metalloprotease.

The molecular dynamics of the Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A metalloprotease in the presence of structural Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions was evaluated. Seven Ca2+ ions are primarily bound to the C-terminus, while a divalent cation is located at the catalytic site, acting as a cofactor. The observed enzyme's experimental activity suggests that Mn2+ could compete for the active site of the enzyme with Ca2+, Zn2+ or other divalent cations, thus providing greater catalytic power to the enzyme. Our molecular dynamics simulations suggest that these ions partially protect the enzyme's structure from thermal denaturation. Moreover, our simulations have shown a collective movement of opening-closing of the active-site in simulations with structural Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions bound, leading to a proposal of a dynamical model of P. fluorescens 07A metalloprotease active and inactive conformations. These findings can support the development of measures to control the activity of P. fluorescens and other spoilage microorganism proteases.

Temperature modulates the production and activity of a metalloprotease from Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A in milk.

This work evaluated the expression and activity of a metalloprotease released by Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A in milk. Low relative expression of the protease by the strain was observed after incubation for 12 h at 25°C while the strain was in the logarithmic growth phase. After 24 h, protease production significantly increased and remained constant for up to 48 h, a time range during which the strain remained in the stationary phase. Conversely, at refrigeration temperatures, at 12 h the strain was still in the lag phase and expressed the protease at higher levels than when the logarithmic phase was reached. Casein fractions were highly degraded by P. fluorescens 07A, the purified protease, and the bacterial pellet on d 7 of incubation at 25°C and to a lesser extent at 10°C for the sample incubated with the bacterium. Heat treatment at 90°C for 5 min completely inactivated the proteolytic activity of the purified protease and the bacterial pellet. This work contributes to the knowledge about the conditions of milk storage that influence the production and activity of this extracellular metalloprotease. The results demonstrate the need to find alternative strategies to control the synthesis and activity of proteolytic enzymes in the dairy industry to ensure the quality of processed products.

Characterization of a heat-resistant extracellular protease from Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A shows that low temperature treatments are more effective in deactivating its proteolytic activity.

This work discusses the biological and biochemical characterization of an extracellular protease produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 49.486 kDa and hydrolyzes gelatin, casein, and azocasein, but not BSA. Its maximum activity is found at 37°C and pH 7.5, but it retained almost 70% activity at pH 10.0. It was shown to be a metalloprotease inhibited by Cu(2+), Ni(2+), Zn(2+), Hg(2+), Fe(2+), and Mg(2+), but induced by Mn(2+). After incubation at 100°C for 5min, the enzyme presented over 40% activity, but only 14 to 30% when submitted to milder heat treatments. This behavior may cause significant problems under conditions commonly used for the processing and storage of milk and dairy products, particularly UHT milk. A specific peptide sequenced by mass spectrometer analysis allowed the identification of gene that encodes this extracellular protease in the genome of Pseudomonas fluorescens 07A strain. The enzyme has 477 AA and highly conserved Ca(2+)- and Zn(2+)-binding domains, indicating that Ca(2+), the main ion in milk, is also a cofactor. This work contributes to the understanding of the biochemical aspects of enzyme activity and associates them with its sequence and structure. These findings are essential for the full understanding and control of these enzymes and the technological problems they cause in the dairy industry.

UFV-P2 as a member of the Luz24likevirus genus: a new overview on comparative functional genome analyses of the LUZ24-like phages.

BACKGROUND: Phages infecting spoilage microorganisms have been considered as alternative biocontrol agents, and the study of their genomes is essential to their safe use in foods. UFV-P2 is a new Pseudomonas fluorescens-specific phage that has been tested for its ability to inhibit milk proteolysis. RESULTS: The genome of the phage UFV-P2 is composed of bidirectional modules and presented 75 functionally predict ORFs, forming clusters of early and late transcription. Further genomic comparisons of Pseudomonas-specific phages showed that these viruses could be classified according to conserved segments that appear be free from genome rearrangements, called locally collinear blocks (LCBs). In addition, the genome organization of the phage UFV-P2 was shown to be similar to that of phages PaP3 and LUZ24 which have recently been classified as a Luz24likevirus. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented the functional annotation of UFV-P2, a new Pseudomonas fluorescens phage. Based on structural genomic comparison and phylogenetic clustering, we suggest the classification of UFV-P2 in the Luz24likevirus genus, and present a set of shared locally collinear blocks as the genomic signature for this genus.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Pseudomonas fluorescens Bacteriophage UFV-P2.

Milk proteolysis caused by Pseudomonas fluorescens is a serious problem in the dairy industries as a result of its ability to grow under refrigeration. The use of phages to control contaminants in food has been considered an alternative to traditional methods; therefore, a thorough understanding of such organisms is vital for their use. In this study, we show the complete genome sequence and analysis of a P. fluorescens phage isolated from wastewater of a dairy industry in Brazil.