THE DEPOLYMERIZATION OF BACTERIAL POLYSACCHARIDES BY HYALURONIDASE PREPARATIONS

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Abstract
Polysaccharides which are depolymerized by testicular hyaluronidase were extracted from strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Vibrio comma, Serratia marcescens, and Sarcina lutea. Although glucose, galactose, and, in most cases, sucrose are suitable carbohydrate sources for the polysaccharides, consistently good results were obtained with glycerol. The bacteria synthesize little or no polysaccharide in the absence of carbohydrate. The polysaccharides are attacked by heat-labile and heat-stable components of hyaluronidase prepns. A significant difference between the hyaluronidase factors which attack hyaluronic acid and those which are concerned with the breakdown of the polysaccharides is evident.