The degradation of cartilage chrondroitin sulphate by the chondroitinase of Proteus vulgaris

Abstract

The exhaustive degradation of small amounts of cartilage chondroitin sulfate by the chondroitinase of P. vulgaris, National Collection Type Cultures number 4636, yields a single product containing approximately equimolar amounts of uronic acid, ester sulfate and hexosamine. Acid hydrolysis of this product yields chondrosin, whereas enzymic removal of ester sulfate groupings by the chondrosulfatase of P. vulgaris yields N-acetylchondrosin. On the bases of these findings, together with analytical results, the product is considered to be N-acetylchondrosin sulfate. When chondroitinase action is not allowed to proceed to completion a series of oligosaccharides is obtained, the principal member being identical with the single product obtained by exhaustive degradation. The series of oligosaccharides is identical with that arising from the prolonged degradation (48 hours) of chondroitin sulfate with testicular hyaluronidase. Evidence suggests that this oligosaccharide series consists of di-, tetra-, hexa- and octa-saccharide homologs, the smallest member being N-acetylchondrosin sulfate.