EFFECT OF A PROTEOLYTIC-ENZYME PRODUCED BY CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS UPON PORCINE MUSCLE

Purified proteolytic enzyme preparations isolated from actively growing cultures of Clostridium perfringens (ATCC 13124-Type A) were added to aseptic porcine muscle and incubated at 37°C. Samples were removed after one, two and four days incubation. The sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins were extracted and subjected to both conventional and SDS-polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis to assess the changes due to the enzyme treatment. The enzyme preparation caused little change in the sarcoplasmic protein fraction but caused some proteolysis in the myofibrillar extract. Comparison of the protein profile from muscle incubated with the purified enzyme preparation and that incubated with the actively growing organisms per se showed that the organisms caused more degradation, suggesting that they produced additional enzymes causing proteolysis of porcine muscle. © 1979.