Hyaluronidase activity in cultures of an anaerobic strain of corynebacteria and some properties of the enzyme.

An anaerobic strain of corynebacteria resembling Corynebacterium anaerobicum was cultured in a fermentor at constant pH. The growth medium was a glucose-proteose-peptone broth. Active hyaluronidase was liberated into the extra-cellular medium during growth as long as glucose was present in the medium. The pH optimum of the enzyme was between pH 5.0 and 6.2. The enzyme was stable between pH 5.0 and 9.4 and it was found to be heat labile. No gelatinolytic, caseinolytic, nor aminopeptidase activity of the extracellular medium of cultures of this strain could be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]