Purification and characterization of a novel heterodimer protease inhibitor from Streptomyces spp. VL J2 with potential biopesticidal activity against H. armigera

Abstract A protease inhibitor (PI) was isolated and purified from halo-alkaliphilic Streptomyces spp. VL J2. SDS-PAGE of purified PI revealed it to be a heterodimer of two unidentical subunits of 27.5 and 11.08 kDa, which corroborates well with intact molecular mass of 38.5 kDa obtained by GPC and MALDI −TOF. Inhibitory activity was confirmed by activity staining and reverse zymogram studies and the inhibitor was found to retain activity at −9  M). Activity against H. armigera showed significant decline and delay in larval (51%), pupal weights and periods, respectively, prominent physical abnormalities and reduced nutritional indices as a function of treatment. The results suggest that the purified PI has promising pesticidal activity and could serve as a potential candidate gene for transgenic plant research.