Collagenolytic activity associated with Bacteroides species and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Abstract

Collagenolytic activity was assessed in a variety of microorganisms with particular emphasis on members of the indigenous oral flora. Organisms were grown in complete and peptide depleted basal anaerobic broth. Cell sonicates and media preparations were assayed for collagenolytic activity using 14 C‐labelled collagen in solution and as fibrils. Assay reaction products were evaluated by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. All tested species of Bacteroides, including B. gingivalis , B, melaninogenicus ss. melaninogenicus and intermedius, B. capillus, B. oris, B. thetaiotaomicron , and B. fragilis produced collagenase which was primarily associated with the cell fraction. Collagenolytic activity was also observed in both media and cell sonicates of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , Strain 511. The Bacteroides and Actinobacillus enzymes were heat labile, inhibited by EDTA and human serum. Enzyme activity appeared to be enhanced when these organisms were grown in peptide depleted medium. Collagenase production by tested species of Bacteroides and A. actinomycetemcomitans (511) was unique among other members of the oral microflora including species of Fusobacterium, Actinomyces, Capnocylophaga , and Selenomonas , which did not demonstrate collagenolytic activity under the same cultural conditions.