A feather-degrading bacterium with high keratinase activity was isolated and identified as Bacillus licheniformis YJ4. After 72 h incubation in a medium (0.5% feather meal, 0.05% NH4Cl and NaCl, 0.04% K2HPO4, 0.03% KH2PO4, 0.01% MgCl2 and yeast extract, 0.1% rice husk) at 37 degrees C, 2 keratinases (keratinase I and II) were purified to electrophoretical homogeneity by CM sepharose and Sephadex G-75 chromatographs. They were with molecular masses (M) of 35.5 and 32.8 kDa, isoelectric point (pI) of 6.63 and 6.50, respectively, and stable at pH 6.0-10.0 and 10-50 degrees C. The optimal pH and temperature were similar, at 9.0 and 60 degrees C, respectively. According to the effect of metal, inhibitor and reducing agent, and previous studies, the purified keratinases I and II were considered to be cysteine and serine proteases, respectively.