Proteomic analysis of enzyme production by Bacillus licheniformis using different feather wastes as the sole fermentation media

• Feathers as a fermentation media for enzyme production with Bacillus licheniformis.
• Bacillus lichenifornis leads feather biodegradation by enzymatic hydrolysis.
• Proteomic expression profile in fermented broth is linked to feather composition.
• The excreted proteins are enzymes: keratinase, GGT, chitosanases, and glycosidases.
• Proteomic is a tool to evaluate the influence of fermentation media on enzymatic secretion.

This study evaluates the use of different types of feathers as fermentation media for enzyme production. Bacillus licheniformis was grown on the feathers, which lead to total biodegradation due to bacterial enzymatic hydrolytic excretion. B. licheniformis excretes protease and lipase activity, with feather concentration being the main parameter controlling their generation. Using a proteomic approach, the proteins excreted during fermentation were identified, and the influence of the chemical composition of the feathers on protein secretion was tested. The identified proteins are hydrolytic enzymes such as keratinase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, chitosanases, and glicosidases. The diversity of proteins is related to the chemical complexity of the feathers. Understanding the composition of a hydrolytic system, when B. licheniformis is cultured on different feathers, may assist in utilizing such a system for producing different hydrolytic enzymes. The data indicate that proteomics can be a valuable tool for describing the physiological state of B. licheniformis cell populations growing on different wastes.