title: Degradation by bacterial enzymes of colonic mucus from normal subjects and patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the role of sialic acid metabolism and the detection of a novel O-acetylsialic acid esterase.
abstract: 1. The activities of enzymes degrading human colonic mucin were examined in faecal specimens from healthy subjects and patients with inflammatory bowel disease. 2. The activity of sialidase was measured using a new physiological substrate related to mucus glycoproteins. In addition, acylneuraminate pyruvate-lyase (N-acetylneuraminate lyase; EC 4.1.3.3.) and a novel O-acetylsialic acid esterase (sialate O-acetylesterase; EC 3.1.1.53) were detected. 3. The O-acetylsialic acid esterase activity was readily detectable in partially purified fractions after Sephadex G-100 chromatography. 4. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease showed significant increases in acylneuraminate pyruvate-lyase and proteinase activity but sialidase activity did not differ from normal. The activity of these enzymes in neutrophils could not account for the differences observed.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine Laboratories, Bristol Royal Infirmary, U.K.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Corfield
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Clamp
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mountford
mesh_terms: D000115:Acetylesterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009093:Mucus / Q000201:enzymology; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D007652:Oxo-Acid-Lyases / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D000115:Acetylesterase; C046298:sialate O-acetylesterase; D009439:Neuraminidase; D007652:Oxo-Acid-Lyases; C018728:N-acetylneuraminate lyase