Research progress on the characteristics and application of microbial keratinase

Abstract:

Keratin is the main component of feathers and many agricultural waste. It is difficult to be used because it has a large number of stable cross-linked disulfide bonds, which can resist degradation of common proteases and chemical catalysts. These waste resources are accumulate massirely and cause serious environmental pollution. Microbial keratinase can efficiently convert keratin wastes into the reusable products which will bring economic value, and make environment sustainable. This article mainly reviews the biochemical characteristics, the basic structure, the expression characteristics, and the application of microbial keratinases. Finally, the future research topics of the microbial keratinase were proposed and prospected.