Extraction protease expressed by Penicillium fellutanum from the Brazilian savanna using poly(ethylene glycol)/sodium polyacrylate/NaCl aqueous two-phase system

The partitioning of protease expressed by Penicillium fellutanum from the Brazilian savanna in a novel inexpensive and stable aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) was studied in this work using factorial design. The ATPS is formed by mixing both polymers with a salt (NaCl) and fermented broth of P. fellutanum. The effects of molar mass (2,000, 4,000, and 6,000 gmol(-1)) and concentration (6, 8, and 10 wt%) of PEG and that of NaPA concentration (6, 8, and 10 wt%) on protease partitioning (K) at 25 degrees C were studied. A two-level factorial design (2(3)) was implemented. The effect of Na2SO4 concentration (5, 10, and 15 wt%) on the reextraction of the enzyme was also analyzed. The partition coefficient K ranged from 77.51 to 1.21, indicating the versatility of the method. The reextraction was achieved with the addition of 5% Na2SO4, allowing the partitioning of the protease to the upper phase, whereas total proteins were directed to the bottom phase. The results of partitioning using the PEG/NaPA/NaCl system and that of the subsequent reextraction with Na2SO4 suggest that this method can be used to purify proteases from fermented broth of P. fellutanum. (C) 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.