A pET-32a-TRX-pro-protease IV vector was constructed after codon optimization.
The protease IV was expressed in inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strain.
A regeneration strategy composed of refolding and activation was developed.
The auto-degradation property was efficiently inhibited during purification.
The recombinant protease IV showed high activity and lysine digestion specificity.