Action of chondroitinases. II. Numerical calculation of the degree of multiple attack.

Further investigation was carried out on the action patterns of two chondroitinase-AC [EC 4.2.2.5.] preparations obtained from Arthrobacter aurescens and Flavobacterium heparinum. To infer the action patterns of the chondroitinases, we proposed a new method for the calculation of the degree of multiple attack, based on the concept established by Robyt and French ((1967) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 122, 8-16). It was shown that the degree of multiple attack (DM) is represented by the ratio of the initial velocity of number-average degree of scission to that of viscosity-average degree of scission. By this method, DM for A-Chase was estimated to be 3.03 and for F-chase, 1.31.