How well do bacterial proteases work in pH 4? (slightly acidic conditions)


Please help!

Depends on the organism the protease came from, and which protease it is, there are many differnet types of bacteria containing many different proteases in different isoforms (types).

Also the optimum pH depends on where it is localised, intracellular (cytoplasm/lysosome ect) or extracellular.

However many proteases work in the lysosome, an acidic vesicle of the cell. Proteases contained within would work at low pH such as 4. This is as a protective mechanism for he cell, if the lysosome were to burst the proteases would be deactivated, not damaging the cell contents.