Purification and properties of streptococcal hyaluronate lyase

Hyaluronate lyase (hyaluronidase) has been purified and characterized from a group A type 4 Streptococcus. Production of the enzyme was favored by growth in trypsinized veal infusion in the presence of hyaluronate oligosaccharide and tetrasaccharide. Detectable enzymatic activity was diminished in the presence of N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid. Purification of hyaluronate lyase consisted of 40 to 60% ammonium sulfate precipitation, diethylaminoethyl A-50 Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration with G-200 Sephadex, and adsorption to Sepharose 6B. Purified enzyme was antigenically homogeneous and free of proteinase, deoxyribonuclease, streptolysin 0, and streptokinase. Active hyaluronate lyase was recovered from neutral polyacrylamide gels, and it appeared to be a glycoprotein. A single band was detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide electrophoresis, which had a molecular weight of approximately 50,000. A molecular weight of 70,000 was observed by gel filtration. The purified enzyme had a Km of 3.8 x 10(-4) and a pH optimum of 6.0. Reducing agents increased the activity of crude enzyme at least threefold and were necessary to prevent inactivation of the purified enzyme.