Hide and skin are complex tissue where the most abundant component is collagen. Matrix metalloproteinases and bacterial collagenases are two kinds of collagenases that can cleave the triple-helical domain of native fibrillar collagens. In this paper, the family members and domain composition of matrix metalloproteinases and bacterial collagenases are summarized. The catalytic mechanism of collagen hydrolysis by collagenases is described, and the methods adopted to date for investigating and regulating collagenases and their inhibitors are reviewed. Furthermore, the applications of collagenases and their inhibitors in biomedicine, food processing and the enzymatic unhairing process in the leather-making industry are presented. Graphical Abstract

In this study, nano-ZnO loaded amidoxime-functionalized wool fibers (wool-AO@ZnO) were synthesized by radiation-induced copolymerization and in situ co-precipitation as a novel adsorbent with good antibiofouling properties for uranium recovery. The prepared adsorbent was characterized by SEM-EDS and FT-IR spectroscopy. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the prepared wool-AO@ZnO have a good uranium adsorption property at pH 6.0–9.0. Meanwhile, wool-AO@ZnO displayed a good inhibition of aerobic bacteria such as S. aureus and E. coli; of anaerobic bacteria; of sulfate reducing bacteria; of fungus C. albicans and of mildew Aspergillus niger. After four cyclic cultivations with microorganisms, the inhibition rate of wool-AO@ZnO to E. coli and S. aureus still remains at 77.8% and 84.9%, respectively; and a good adsorption capacity for uranium(VI) was maintained. The prepared wool-AO@ZnO could be a promising antibiofouling adsorbent for the recovery of uranium(VI) from seawater.