Isolation, Production of Protease, and Antimicrobial Activities from Marine Sediment Gamma - Proteobacteria of MBS-L3 Isolate

Abstract

Protease is an enzyme that hydrolyses peptide bonds in amino acid residues of proteins and is essential for many metabolic processes. However, in the development of biotechnology, proteolytic enzymes play an important role in various industrial processes, including in the detergent, leather, textile, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Marine sediment ecosystems provide a diversity of microorganisms with the ability to produce the extracellular proteolytic enzyme. Compared to other varieties, marine bacteria are a more profitable and easier-to-produce source of protease because they are unique, specific, and resistant to salinity, temperature, light, and extreme environments. This research aims to isolate and characterize protease-marine sediment bacteria as an antimicrobial application. Samples were collected from marine sediments in Losari Coastal, Makassar City, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and isolated bacteria were subjected to primary and secondary screening to select potential protease producers. The isolated bacteria were identified using macroscopy, microscopy, and gene sequencing (16S rRNA). The extracellular protease enzyme will be continued for antimicrobial applications. Based on the results, proteolytic MBS-L3 isolate obtained from marine sediments are capable of hydrolysing skim milk and casein substrates at 40oC. Next, the MBS-L3 isolate was identified as a round colony with a scalloped margin, a smooth, convex shape, and bacilli or rod-shaped gram-negative bacteria. Molecular characterization revealed that the MBS-L3 isolate has 98.893% identity to Vibrio alginolyticus strain NRBC 15630. The extracellular protease of the MBS-L3 isolate was exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25922 and against Escherichia coli ATCC 25923. According to these findings, proteolytic MBS-L3 isolates from marine sediments provide potential opportunities for new drugs for commercial use in the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.