Degradation of human dentine collagen by an enzyme produced by the yeast Candida albicans

Abstract

An extracellular collagenolytic enzyme separated from a culture medium of this pathogenic yeast was found to attack undenatured predentine collagen as seen in scanning electron micrographs. After treatment with the enzyme at pH 4.0, but not by that acidity alone, dentine tubules were less easily distinguished and the collagen fibres were less well-organized.