Hyaluronidase from Tadpole Tissue.

The connective tissues of the tadpole undergo extensive remodeling during metamorphosis. In the resorbing tail fins of bullfrog tadpoles, there is a rapid degradation of collagen in the basement lamella coupled with dehydration and loss of the gelatinous core of the fin (1,2). The layers of the dense collagenous basement lamella are loosened, frayed, and invaded by mesenchymal cells.1 A collagenolytic enzyme operating at physiological pH and temperature has been detected in cultures of this tissue grown on reconstituted collagen gels (3) and was subsequently isolated from the culture media (4, 5), although not from fresh tissue extracts. Since mucopolysaccharides are always present in collagenous tissues, it seemed reasonable to suspect the presence of enzymes involved in their degradation. Therefore the same culture media from which collagenolytic enzyme was obtained were used for the detection and partial characterization of a hyaluronidase. In addition, hyaluronidase activity was found in extracts of the fresh tissues.