Immunoenzymology of clostridium histolyticum collagenase

Summary Rabbits inoculated with purifiedClostridium histolyticum collagenase (Clostridiopeptidase A (E.C. 3.44.19) formed precipitating and enzyme activity inhibiting antibodies.The inhibiting effect of immune -globulin and of the immune Fab fragment depends on the antibody to enzyme ratio, on the time of preincubation between these two components, and on the presence of Ca²⁺ during preincubation.Ca²⁺ appears to be necessary to the formation of the collagenase-anticollagenase antibody complex and implicitly to the inhibition of collagenase activity by the antibody.Neither the high molecular substrate collagen, nor the small molecular substrate CBC-hexapeptide protect the collagenase activity against the inhibiting effect of the anticollagenase antibody.