title: The purification and characterisation of hyaluronidase from the venom of the honey bee, Apis mellifera.
abstract: Hyaluronidase has been purified from the venom of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. The purification proved remarkably difficult, requiring a large number of chromatographic steps culminating in the removal of traces of phospholipase A2 with an affinity purified rabbit anti-phospholipase A2 immunosorbent column. The purified enzyme showed a 1143-fold increase in specific activity and was homogeneous. Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels (12%) containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (pH 8.9) or urea (pH 2.8) and electrofocusing in polyacrylamide (5%) gave a single band. The final product contained less than 0.1% phospholipase A2 and less than 1.5% acid phosphatase and gave a single line of precipitation against rabbit anti-hyaluronidase but was not precipitated by rabbit anti-phospholipase A2. Previous reports of instability were not confirmed, and we found the enzyme to be highly stable over a wide range of temperature and pH, and to denaturing agents. Purified hyaluronidase was found to be 'sticky' when highly pure and at low concentration, and adhered strongly to Sephadex G-75. The relative molecular mass was estimated at 35 000-37 000 by gel filtration, and at 41 000 by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A value of 50 000 was obtained by ultracentrifugation assuming a partial specific volume of 0.73 cm3/g. Hyaluronidase was found to be a minor allergen in bee venom allergic patients.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000032:analysis*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008970:Molecular Weight
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001514:Bee Venoms; D002241:Carbohydrates; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase