Methods for Assessments of Collagenolytic Activity of the Vibrio cholerae Extracellular Proteases, Purification of Secreted Collagenase VchC, and Extraction of Type I Collagen from Fish Skin

Secreted proteases have been linked to facilitating the survival of Vibrio cholerae in different environmental niches. Examination of protease activity using various measures is critical to determine the substrate specificity of a given proteolytic enzyme and its biological function. Here, we describe methods to assess collagenolytic activity of the V. cholerae extracellular proteases using synthetic and natural substrates in quantitative and qualitative assays. Purification of the secreted V. cholerae collagenase VchC and extraction of type I collagen from fish skin are also described.