Phylogenetic survey of the subtilase family and a data-mining-based search for new subtilisins from Bacillaceae

Fabian Falkenberg; Michael Bott; Johannes Bongaerts; Petra Siegert

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1017978

Phylogenetic survey of the subtilase family and a data-mining-based search for new subtilisins from Bacillaceae

Front Microbiol. 2022 Sep 26:13:1017978. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1017978. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Fabian Falkenberg¹, Michael Bott², Johannes Bongaerts¹, Petra Siegert¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies, Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Jülich, Germany.
² Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.

Abstract

The subtilase family (S8), a member of the clan SB of serine proteases are ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life and fulfil different physiological functions. Subtilases are divided in several groups and especially subtilisins are of interest as they are used in various industrial sectors. Therefore, we searched for new subtilisin sequences of the family Bacillaceae using a data mining approach. The obtained 1,400 sequences were phylogenetically classified in the context of the subtilase family. This required an updated comprehensive overview of the different groups within this family. To fill this gap, we conducted a phylogenetic survey of the S8 family with characterised holotypes derived from the MEROPS database. The analysis revealed the presence of eight previously uncharacterised groups and 13 subgroups within the S8 family. The sequences that emerged from the data mining with the set filter parameters were mainly assigned to the subtilisin subgroups of true subtilisins, high-alkaline subtilisins, and phylogenetically intermediate subtilisins and represent an excellent source for new subtilisin candidates.

Keywords: Bacillaceae; S8 protease family; data mining; phylogenetic analysis; subtilase; subtilisin.