Surface Modification of Cellulose Acetate with Cutinase and ...

Enzymatic Hydolysis of Wool with a Genetically Modified Subtilisin E
of felting and pilling than samples treated with chimeric enzyme. In fact it seems that
yarns treated with subtilisin-VPAVG220 felted even less than the control samples what
emphasize the idea that, due to its size, the hydrolytic activity of chimeric enzyme is
restricted to the surface of wool yarns and also that the elastomeric polymer
VPAVG220 can provide some kind of protection of yarns against excessive damage
after 3 cicles of washing.
Control without
enzyme (A)
Esperase (B)
Subtilisin-GAG220
(C)
Figure 4. Visual damages on wool yarns after 3 cycles washing in a Rotawash machine.
A) Wool yarns without enzyme; B) wool yarns treated with commercial subtilisin and
C) wool yarns treated with subtilisin-VPAVG220.
4. Conclusion
Without pre-treatment Scouring washing Scouring washing
and bleaching
In this work we have achieved the production of a recombinant high molecular weigh
subtilisin through the fusion of subtilisin E DNA sequence with a sequence that codifies
to an elastomeric polymer. The effect of chimeric high molecular weight subtilisin on
wool yarns was compared to the commercial Esperase. It was found that, as already
expected, due to its small size, the commercial subtilisin is able to penetrate inside the
wool cortex, damaging the fibre.
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