The collagen substrate specificity of human skin fibroblast collagenase.

Abstract

The collagen substrate specificity of human skin fibroblast collagenase was studied as a function of both collagen type and species of substrate origin.For each collagen examined, values for the basic kinetic parameters, K,,, and V,, (kcat), were determined on collagen in solution form at 25 "C and the ratio k,,/K, was used as an index of substrate specificity.Collagen types I, II, and lII of all species tested were successfully attacked by fibroblast collagenase.Collagen types Iv and V were not degraded, even following prolonged incubations with a high concentration of enzyme.Enzyme-substrate affinity was remarkably similar for all successfully degraded collagens, K, =