Characterization of an alkaline serine protease of Aureobasidium pullulans involved in the biocontrol of postharvest diseases

Abstract: An alkaline protease gene was amplified and characterized from genomic DNA andcDNA of Aureobasidium pullulans PL5. Expression of ALP5 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)yielded an homogeneous recombinant ALP5 which hydrolysed the substrate casein and inhibitedthe mycelial growth of the pathogens. This study provided the direct evidence that extracellularproteases secreted by the antagonist A. pullulans PL5 played a role in the biocontrol activitiesagainst some postharvest pathogens of apple and peach.