[The use of alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis, strain DY, for the hydrolysis of amino acid and peptide esters (author's transl)].

We have studied the hydrolysis of methyl-, ethyl- and benzylesters of amino acids and peptides using alkaline protease from B. subtilis, strain DY. The hydrolysis with this enzyme gives high yields (usually over 90%) with high optical purity of the products. The proposed method is considerably better than the alkaline saponification or the hydrolysis of these esters with alpha-chymotrypsin. The method is not applicable in the case of substrates with free amino groups as well as with substrates which are insoluble under the conditions of the reaction.