Dynamic action of keratinase on wool fibre tracked by FITC-labelled enzyme

Abstract

Due to pollution in the process of chemical treatments, wool textile industry has been remarkably changed to use eco-friendly reagents in preparatory and finishing operations. We previously isolated a wool-degrading bacterial strain (Pseudomonas sp.3096-4) from decomposed wool fabrics, which produces a new type of keratinase capable of degrading cuticle layers. In this study, using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelling and scanning electron microscope, we found that the Pseudomonas-derived keratinase efficiently removed the cuticle layer by protein hydrolysis and the degradation proceeded from surface to inner components of wool fibres. A 48-h treatment with the keratinase effectively removed cuticle scales on the wool surface with interior structure largely intact. This treatment significantly reinforced the strength and tenacity of wool fibres, showing its potential as a promising method in the wool textile industry.

Keywords:

• Pseudomonas 3096-4
• keratinase
• FITC labelled enzyme
• wool fibres

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China [31570106 and 31000989] and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [2232014D3-23].