Microbial Keratinases: Then and Now

Keratinase are special proteases which have the ability to degrade recalcitrant, proteinase K resistant proteins. They are elaborated by compendium of microorganisms that include bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi. The keratinase research can be divided into three phases. The first phase from was completely dominated by Ker A involving work on its characterization, production, expression and application. The establishment of Ker A as a biotechnologically important enzyme gave way to the second phase of research wherein scientists started exploring the diversity of keratinolytic micro-organisms and understanding its role in keratin degradation. The third phase came with the revealation of its ability to degrade recalcitrant prion protein. Since then, there have been increasing number of reports on keratinases and their characterization. The present article elaborates the journey of keratinase research starting from its establishment a