Aspartic Protease Tuning for Cheese Yield and Faster Ripening

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the proteolytic activity parameters of the aspartic protease. The enzyme is engineered to have low proteolytic activity during milk coagulation (preserving cheese yield) while exhibiting high proteolytic activity during cheese curd ripening (accelerating proteolysis). This dual-mode parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining high cheese yield and reducing ripening time.

The patent employs parameter changes by creating an aspartic protease with controlled proteolytic activity levels at different stages. The enzyme maintains low proteolysis during coagulation to preserve cheese yield, then transitions to high proteolysis during ripening to achieve fast ripening speeds, thereby resolving the trade-off between cheese yield and ripening speed observed with camel chymosin.

The patent applies preliminary action by engineering the aspartic protease to be pre-configured with stage-specific proteolytic activities. The enzyme is designed beforehand to automatically exhibit low proteolysis during coagulation and high proteolysis during ripening, eliminating the need for extended ripening periods while still achieving desirable cheese texture and aroma, thus reducing production costs associated with long inventory holding.

The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter changes by creating an aspartic protease with temporally differentiated proteolytic activity. The enzyme exhibits low proteolytic activity during milk coagulation to minimize protein loss and maintain high cheese yield, then switches to high proteolytic activity during cheese curd ripening to achieve fast ripening speeds, thereby decoupling the trade-off between proteolysis level and cheese yield.