Degradation by bacterial enzymes of colonic mucus from normal subjects and patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the role of sialic acid metabolism and the detection of a novel O-acetylsialic acid esterase.

1. The activities of enzymes degrading human colonic mucin were examined in faecal specimens from healthy subjects and patients with inflammatory bowel disease. 2. The activity of sialidase was measured using a new physiological substrate related to mucus glycoproteins. In addition, acylneuraminate pyruvate-lyase (N-acetylneuraminate lyase; EC 4.1.3.3.) and a novel O-acetylsialic acid esterase (sialate O-acetylesterase; EC 3.1.1.53) were detected. 3. The O-acetylsialic acid esterase activity was readily detectable in partially purified fractions after Sephadex G-100 chromatography. 4. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease showed significant increases in acylneuraminate pyruvate-lyase and proteinase activity but sialidase activity did not differ from normal. The activity of these enzymes in neutrophils could not account for the differences observed.