Peptide condensation activity of a neutral protease from Vibrio sp. T1800 (Vimelysin)

Condensation of Cbz‐Asp and PheOMe catalyzed by a neutral protease from Vibrio sp. T1800 (Vimelysin: VLN) was studied. VLN showed a relatively higher catalytic activity of condensation and an apparently larger yield after 3 h or 24 h, in comparison with thermolysin (TLN), especially at lower pH and temperatures. VLN showed higher solvent‐tolerance than TLN. TLhe apparent highest yield (25%) was obtained in 30% DMSO by using VLN; under similar conditions, TLN gave only about a half of this value. The rate of the condensation reaction per mole of enzyme (v/[E]o) in DMSO 50% at 37°C and pH 6.5 was 0.16 s−1 for VLN and 0.047 s−1 for TLN. In 30% ethanol VLN showed more than three‐fold peptide yield than TLN after 5 h reaction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 387–390, 1997.