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AAT Bioquest

What are the commonly used enzymes used in tissue dissociation protocols?

Posted May 24, 2023


Answer

Commonly used enzymes in tissue dissociation protocols include: 

  • Collagenase - capable of hydrolyzing collagen and is widely used for separating cells from animal tissues. 
  • Hyaluronidase - catalyzes hydrolysis of 1,4-β-Dglycosidic linkages and is often used in combination with collagenase 
  • Trypsin - a serine protease with a specificity for peptide bonds and is often combined with other enzymes such as collagenase and elastase for tissue dissociation protocols
  • DNase - added to cell suspensions to minimize the clumping of cells caused by DNA released by damaged cells 
  • Elastase - helps digest tissues that contain high levels of elastin
  • Pancreatic elastase - serine protease with a specificity for peptide bonds adjacent to neutral amino acids 
  • Chymotrypsin - a protease that preferentially catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptide bonds involving the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine and is used to a limited extent in tissue dissociation protocols
Additional resources

Tissue dissociation enzymes for isolating human islets for transplantation: factors to consider in setting enzyme acceptance criteria

Enzymes