Large scale preparation and characterization of mucopolysaccharase contamination free heparinase.

By a combination of hydroxylapatite chromatography and negative adsorption on QAE-Sephadex at pH 8.3, heparinase (E.C.4.2.2.7) can be successfully isolated from all the other mucopolysaccharase contaminants present in Flavobacterium heparinum. Hydroxylapatite isolates heparinase primarily from chondroitinases, hyaluronidase, and most glycuronidases. QAE-Sephadex chromatography at pH 8.3 further separates heparinase from heparitinases, sulfatases, and the remaining glycuronidases. The heparinase preparation thus obtained contains no statistically significant levels of other contaminating mucopolysaccharases except for heparitinases that are present at an apparent maximum level of 3.4%. Owing to the presence of a crossreaction of heparinase on heparitin sulfate at conditions employed for the assay of heparitinase, the heparitinase level of 3.4% could be misleading because of the action of heparinase on heparitin sulfate. Characterization of this heparinase preparation shows that the enzyme has an optimum salt concentration of 0.08M NaCl, an optimum pH of 6.5, an activation energy of 5 kcal/mol, and a Km of 7.95 X 10(-6) M. These parameters are almost identical to those displayed by a homogeneous heparinase preparation. The method described here is suitable for scale-up purposes using batch chromatographic procedures.