A specific collagenase from rabbit fibroblasts in monolayer culture

1. Explants of rabbit skin and synovium in tissue culture secreted a specific collagenase into their culture media. Primary cultures of fibroblast-like cells, which were obtained from these tissues and maintained in culture for up to 14 subculture passages, also secreted high activities of a specific collagenase into serum-free culture medium. Secretion of enzyme activity from the cell monolayer was at constant rate for over 100h and continued for up to 8 days in serum-free culture medium. The enzymic activity released was proportional to the number of cells in the monolayer. 2. The fibroblast collagenase was maximally active between pH7 and 8. At 24 degrees C the collagenase decreased the viscosity of collagen in solution by 60%. The collagen molecule was cleaved into three-quarters and one-quarter length fragments as demonstrated by electron microscopy of segment-long-spacing crystallites (measured as native collagen molecules aligned with N-termini together along the long axis), and by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the denatured products. The collagenase hydrolysed insoluble collagen, reconstituted collagen fibrils and gelatin, but had no effect on haemoglobin or Pz-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-d-Arg (where Pz=4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl). 3. The fibroblast collagenase was partially purified by gel filtration and the molecular weight was estimated as 38000. The activity of the partially purified enzyme was stimulated by 4-chloromercuribenzoate, inhibited by EDTA, cysteine, 1,10-phenanthroline and serum, but was unaffected by di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate, Tos-LysCH(2)Cl and pepstatin. 4. Long-term cell cultures originating from rabbit skin or synovium from rabbits with experimentally induced arthritis also secreted specific collagenase. Human fibroblasts released only very small amounts of collagenase.