Purification and properties of bovine nasal hyaline cartilage collagenase

1. 1. Collagenase from bovine nasal hyaline cartilage was extracted with 1 and 3M NaCl in Tris-CaCl2 buffer. 2. 2. Two peaks of collagenase activity were revealed on DE52 ion exchange column, collagenase 1 and collagenase 2. 3. 3. The apparent mol. wt of collagenase 1 and 2 as determined by SDS-PAGE were 68 and 43 kDa, respectively. 4. 4. Both enzymes degrade native collagen type II into two characteristic products, TCA(34) and TCB(14), at 25°C and pH 7.6 5. 5. Trypsin and aminophenylmercuric acetate were capable of increasing the collagenase 1 activity. 6. 6. The two enzymes can be characterized as metalloproteinases since they were inhibited by EGTA and 1,10-phenanthroline. The use of proteinase inhibitors (N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetic acid, phenylmethyl-sulphonyl fluoride, soybean trypsin inhibitor, pepstatin, dithiothreitol) showed that the enzymes do not contain serine, cysteine or aspartic acid in their active sites.