Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1968 Dec;47(12):2622–2629. doi: 10.1172/JCI105945

Degradation of collagen by a human granulocyte collagenolytic system

Gerald S Lazarus 1,2,3, John R Daniels 1,2,3, Robert S Brown 1,2,3, Howard A Bladen 1,2,3, Harold M Fullmer 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC297433  PMID: 4302177

Abstract

This report suggests a mechanism for collagen degradation mediated by human granulocytic leukocytes. A specific collagenase, which is extractable from human granulocytes, has been partially purified by DEAE chromatography. This collagenolytic enzyme is operative at physiological pH and is inhibited by EDTA, cysteine, and reduced glutathione but not by human serum. The enzyme cleaves the collagen molecule into two specific products, without loss of helical conformation. Electron micrographs of segment long spacing aggregates indicate that the cleavage occurs one-quarter of the length from the carboxy terminal end of the molecule. Experiments with crude extracts from granulocytes suggest that the specific products of granulocyte collagenase activity are then degraded by other proteases present in the human granulocyte.

Full text

PDF
2622

Images in this article

2625Image
on p.2625
2626Image
on p.2626
2626Image
on p.2626
2627Image
on p.2627

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bennick A., Hunt A. M. Collagenolytic activity in oral tissues. Arch Oral Biol. 1967 Jan;12(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(67)90136-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beutner E. H., Triftshauser C., Hazen S. P. Collagenase activity of gingival tissue from patients with periodontal disease. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Apr;121(4):1082–1085. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30972. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cochrane C. G. Mediators of the arthus and related reactions. Prog Allergy. 1967;11:1–35. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eisen A. Z., Jeffrey J. J., Gross J. Human skin collagenase. Isolation and mechanism of attack on the collagen molecule. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Mar 25;151(3):637–645. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(68)90010-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Evanson J. M., Jeffrey J. J., Krane S. M. Human collagenase: identification and characterization of an enzyme from rheumatoid synovium in culture. Science. 1967 Oct 27;158(3800):499–502. doi: 10.1126/science.158.3800.499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FALLON H. J., FREI E., 3rd, DAVIDSON J. D., TRIER J. S., BURK D. Leukocyte preparations from human blood: evaluation of their morphologic and metabolic state. J Lab Clin Med. 1962 May;59:779–791. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fullmer H. M., Gibson W. A., Lazarus G., Stam A. C., Jr Collagenolytic activity of the skin associated with neuromuscular diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet. 1966 May 7;1(7445):1007–1009. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)90116-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fullmer H. M., Gibson W. Collagenolytic activity in gingivae of man. Nature. 1966 Feb 12;209(5024):728–729. doi: 10.1038/209728a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. GROSS J., LAPIERE C. M. Collagenolytic activity in amphibian tissues: a tissue culture assay. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1962 Jun 15;48:1014–1022. doi: 10.1073/pnas.48.6.1014. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gross J., Nagai Y. Specific degradation of the collagen molecule by tadpole collagenolytic enzyme. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Oct;54(4):1197–1204. doi: 10.1073/pnas.54.4.1197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kang A. H., Nagai Y., Piez K. A., Gross J. Studies on the structure of collagen utilizing a collagenolytic enzyme from tadpole. Biochemistry. 1966 Feb;5(2):509–515. doi: 10.1021/bi00866a016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Krichevsky M. I., Zaveler S. A., Bulkeley J. Computer-aided single of dual isotope channels ratio quench correction in liquid scintillation counting. Anal Biochem. 1968 Mar;22(3):442–464. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(68)90286-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nagai Y., Lapiere C. M., Gross J. Tadpole collagenase. Preparation and purification. Biochemistry. 1966 Oct;5(10):3123–3130. doi: 10.1021/bi00874a007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Riley W. B., Jr, Peacock E. E., Jr Identification, distribution, and significance of a collagenolytic enzyme in human tissues. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1967 Jan;124(1):207–210. doi: 10.3181/00379727-124-31702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sakai T., Gross J. Some properties of the products of reaction of tadpole collagenase with collagen. Biochemistry. 1967 Feb;6(2):518–528. doi: 10.1021/bi00854a021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Walker D. G., Lapiere C. M., Gross J. A collagenolytic factor in rat bone promoted by parathyroid extract. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1964 Apr 22;15(5):397–402. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(64)90474-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES