Identification and characterisation of two extracellular proteases of Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans was shown to produce two extracellular proteases capable of degrading both gelatin and collagen-like substrates. These enzymes have molecular masses of 52 and 50 kDa when analysed by SDS-PAGE. Both enzymes were inhibited by EDTA, but not by a range of other inhibitors with different specificities, indicating that they are metalloproteases. The activity of EDTA-inactivated enzymes could be restored by the addition of manganese and zinc. The identical inhibition and restoration profiles of the two enzymes suggest that one of the proteases may be a degradation product of the other.