Collagenase derived from human fibrosarcoma is responsible for degradation of basement membranes.

A collagenase-like enzyme with the ability to degrade the proteins of artificial basement membranes (BM) was isolated from human fibrosarcoma. Secretion of the same peptide was observed from the primary fibrosarcoma cell cultures. This peptide degrades the artificial basement membranes derived from bovine corneal endothelial cells. Using electrophoretic methods it was found that the isolated and partially purified enzyme consists of eight bands of different molecular mass corresponding to the collagenase standard from Cl. histolyticum. Only two bands with molecular masses of 22,000 (pI 5.5) and 63,000 (pI 5.9) degrade BM.