A heparan sulfate-degrading endoglycosidase from rat liver tissue

Incubation of a rat liver lysosomal fraction with [³⁵S]heparan sulfate resulted in degradation of the polymer to oligosaccharides, demonstrating the presence of a heparan sulfate-degrading endoglycosidase. Judging from the size of the oligosaccharides, representing degradation end-products, only a limited number of the glycosidic linkages in the heparan sulfate molecule would seem to be susceptible to the heparitinase. The pH-dependence of the enzyme (active at pH 5.6; inactive at pH 3.8) was found to differ from that of liver hyaluronidase (active at pH 3.8; inactive at pH 5.6), suggesting that the heparitinase is a previously unknown enzyme.