Sodhi, H.S.Prabhjot Kaur2018-01-182018-01-182017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810039555Pleurotus florida and Volvariella volvacea are grown widely in subtropical and tropical areas. Proteases are a group of fundamentally hydrolytic enzymes that acylate and deacylate to peptide bonds. P.florida showed higher mycelial dry weight (13.4g/L) and wheat straw gave maximum yield for P.florida (72.5kg/q). In qualitative estimation fruit body of V.volvacea showed maximum halo diameter (1.17 cm). In quantitative analysis, for serine proteases in crude and partially purified extract, mycelium of P. florida (28.1 nmol/min/mg) and fruit body of P.florida (148.3 nmol/min/mg), showed maximum specific activity. The maximum specific activity of cysteine proteases in crude and partially purified extract was observed in fruit body of V.volvacea (28.1 nmol/min/mg) and fruit body of P.florida (145.2 nmol/min/mg). The maximum specific activity of aspartic proteases in crude and partially purified extract was observed in mycelium of P.florida (42.2 nmol/min/mg) and fruit body of P.florida (318.5 nmol/min/mg). Maximum molecular weight of protein was 50.2 kDa recorded in all the samples. The FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) assay indicated that the spent substrate of V.volvacea was devoid of Amide A bond, aromatic amino acids and β-sheet conformation. Arginine, lysine and histidine were present in all the samples, whereas sulfur containing amino acids were present in some of the samples. The proteases production potential is more in P.florida than V.volvacea.ennullThesis