Which enzyme is used to demonstrate connective tissue mucin by enzymatic digestion?

• A. Hyaluronidase
• B. Diastase
• C. Amylase
• D. Protease

Answer: (A)

Connective tissue mucin is made up largely of glycosaminoglycans, especially hyaluronic acid. To reveal or confirm mucin with enzymatic digestion, you remove this mucin component so staining patterns change accordingly. Hyaluronidase specifically digests hyaluronic acid, breaking down connective tissue mucin in the tissue section. After treatment, mucin-dependent staining diminishes or disappears, indicating the presence of connective tissue mucin before digestion. The other enzymes listed don’t target mucin: diastase digests glycogen, amylase digests starch, and protease digests proteins. So the enzyme used for demonstrating connective tissue mucin by enzymatic digestion is hyaluronidase.