Is trypsin and collagenase acting the same?-Frequently asked questions-He Yuan Li Ji

Is trypsin and collagenase acting the same?

Pubtime：2024-07-02

View volume：154

To separate cells from each other, enzymes can be used to digest proteins that adhere between cells, such as collagen, laminin, fibronectin, elastin, etc. The enzymes used in the textbook are trypsin or collagenase, and the "or" here does not mean arbitrary selection because the target of action of these two enzymes is not the same.

Trypsin is a pancreatic product that can strongly digest soft tissues with less intercellular matrix, such as liver, kidney, thyroid, amniotic membrane, embryonic tissue, etc. It is ineffective for tissues rich in connective tissue, such as breast, synovium, uterus, fibrosarcoma, tumor tissue, etc. Moreover, if the digestion time is too long, it can also damage the respiratory enzymes and membrane proteins of cells, causing damage to cells. Therefore, after digestion, the cultured cells should be washed immediately.

Collagen enzyme is an enzyme extracted from bacteria, suitable for digesting fibrous tissue, epithelial tissue, and cancer tissue. It has a good digestion effect on collagen components in the intercellular matrix. Although the effect is slow, it has little effect on the cells themselves, so it can still achieve the purpose of dispersing cells.

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