Processing of extracellular lipase of Lactobacillus plantarum: involvementof a metalloprotease

The hypothesis of a proteolytic involvement in the extracellular lipase pro cessing of a strain of Lactobacillus plantarum was considered and tested. I n vitro assays with acid proteases, cathepsin D and renin revealed that bot h did affect lipolytic activity positively. In vivo assays with growth in t he presence of the protease inhibitors pepstatin, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluo ride, trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane and ethylenedia minetetraacetic acid showed that ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid did affect the pattern of the proteins that possess lipolytic activity. Therefore, it is suggested that a metalloprotease is involved in the processing of the e xtracellular lipases of L. plantarum, although other proteases can also be important. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Publi shed by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.