Recombinant S. agalactiae Hyaluronan Lyase Protein, CF

The hyaluronan lyase from Streptococci agalactiae is highly specific towards hyaluronan (1). However, a thousand fold lower activity towards unsulfated chondroitin sulfate has also been observed (2). The enzyme activity is Ca²⁺ dependent (3). During digestion the enzyme moves processively along the hyaluronan chains continuously releasing disaccharide units as it travels (1). The recombinant enzyme can be used to digest hyaluronan and study chondroitin sulfate structure (2). Unlike hyaluronidases, hyaluronan lyase digestion of the substrate creates a double bond at the non-reducing terminus of the product; therefore, the digestion progress can be followed by UV spectrometry and the enzyme can be used for hyaluronan quantification. The recombinant enzyme can also be used for drug screening because the enzyme is a major pathogenic factor for Streptococci agalactiae that causes serious, often fatal, neonatal infections (4). The expressed protein corresponds to the mature form of the native protein (3).