African Journal of
Biochemistry Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biochem. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0778
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJBR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 425

Full Length Research Paper

Studies on some physicochemical properties of Rhodanese synthesized by Bacillus cereus isolated from the effluents of iron and steel smelting industry

Babamotemi Oluwasola Itakorode
  • Babamotemi Oluwasola Itakorode
  • Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Oduduwa University Ipetumodu Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Raphael Emuebie Okonji
  • Raphael Emuebie Okonji
  • Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Odunayo Adedeji
  • Odunayo Adedeji
  • Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
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Nkem Torimiro
  • Nkem Torimiro
  • Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Chinwe Onwudiegwu
  • Chinwe Onwudiegwu
  • African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Ademakinwa Oluwaseyi
  • Ademakinwa Oluwaseyi
  • Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
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  •  Received: 22 October 2018
  •  Accepted: 28 December 2018
  •  Published: 31 January 2019

Abstract

The study purified and investigated the physicochemical properties of rhodanese (a cyanide detoxifying enzyme) synthesized by Bacillus cereus. This was with a view to producing an industrially important enzyme. The bacterial strain was identified as B. cereus by sequencing of its 16SrRNA gene. B. cereus rhodanese was purified with a fold of 3.53, yield of 36.80% and specific activity of 25.30 µmol/min/mg protein. The molecular weight determined on SDS-PAGE was 33.800 kDa. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at 9.0 pH and 50°C. The Kms of B. cereus rhodanese for sodium thiosulphate and potassium cyanide were 19.9 ± 1.05 and 31.4 ± 1.55 mM respectively, while Vmax were 6.19 ± 0.40 and 4.83 ± 0.93 RU/ml respectively. The substrate specificity study using different sulphur compounds showed that the enzyme prefers sodium thiosulphate. The enzyme showed stability at a temperature range of 40-50°C. At 10 mM concentration, metals such as (BaCl2, CaCl2, MnCl2, and SnCl2) had little influence on the enzyme activity while NaCl and HgCl2 inhibited enzyme activity. The presence and biochemical properties of B. cereus rhodanese suggest its possible application in cyanide detoxification.

 

Key words: Bacillus cereus, isolate, cyanide, purification, rhodanese, kinetics.