Studies on hyaluronic acid. V. Relationship between the protein content and viscosity of rooster comb dermis hyaluronic acid.

Protein accounted for an average of 8.7% w/w of the hyaluronic acid obtained from rooster comb dermis extracts and three types of peptide constituents appeared to be present. A few collagen-like fibers were closely associated with the hyaluronic acid when samples were examined in the electron microscope and collagenase treatment decreased the intrinsic viscosity from 7000-5000 ml/g to 3900-2700 ml/g. The quantities of collagen present, however, were too small to detect chemically with the methods employed. The major peptide consituent was readily separated from the hyaluronic acid by fractionation in a cesium chloride gradient or by treatment with pronase. The viscosity was decreased by the density gradient procedure but not by the pronase digestion. Repeated fractionation in a cesium chloride gradient decreased the intrinsic viscosity still further and a small peptide constituent with a high glycine and serine content remained associated with a hyaluronic acid. The data suggest that an interaction or entanglement with collagen fibers is responsible for the high viscosity of hyaluronic acid in this tissue extract and that the viscosity of purified hyaluronic acid preparations is dependent upon interactions between adjacent polysaccharide chains. Interactions between the major peptide constituent and polysaccharide chains or the small residual peptide component remaining with hyaluronic acid after extensive purification procedures, however, appear to be involved in some organized structure because the presence of the major peptide constituent minimized the decrease in viscosity that occurred when hyaluronic acid samples were lyophilized.