COLLAGENOLYTIC ACTIVITY IN AMPHIBIAN TISSUES: A TISSUE CULTURE ASSAY

Abstract
Produc-tion of a diffusible collagenolytic factor acting at neutral pH and physiologic temperature on undenatured collagen was demonstrated in living animal tissues in culture. Cultivation of bullfrog tadpole tissues (skin, gut, and gills) on thermally reconstituted neutral calf and guinea pig skin collagen gels degraded the substrate to dialyzable collagen peptides. This substrate was not attacked by the common proteolytic enzymes, by Cathepsin C, by tadpole tissue extracts, or by killed tadpole tissue. The experimental system used may be developed into a quantitative assay for collagenolytic activity in small tissue fragments.