Clostridial hydrolytic enzymes degrading extracellular components

Bacteria belonging to the genus Clostridium, both glycolytic and proteolyti c, and both pathogenic and non-pathogenic, produce a battery of hydrolytic enzymes to obtain nutrients from various biopolymers. The clostridial hydro lytic enzymes are diverse, and are used or are potentially useful for funda mental and applied research purposes. Among them, enzymes degrading the maj or components in the extracellular matrix or on the cell surface in vertebr ates are herein reviewed with special emphasis on recent knowledge gained t hrough molecular biology of clostridial collagenases, sialidases and hyalur onidases. This paper also reviews some literature on the biotechnological a pproach to the designing of new molecular tools and drug delivery systems i nvolving clostridial hydrolytic enzymes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.