Evaluation of histochemical observations of activity of acid hydrolases obtained with semipermeable membrane techniques. 3. The substrate specificity of isoenzymes of acid phosphatase in m.gastrocnemius of rabbits

Histochemistry. 1979 Apr 3;60(2):145-53. doi: 10.1007/BF00495750.

Abstract

Three distinct isoenzymes of acid phosphatase have been separated from extracts of m.gastrocnemius of normal and of vitamin E deficient rabbits by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These isoenzymes, termed I, II and III, have molecular weights of: 110,000--130,000, 60,000--78,000 and 12,500--14,500. Isoenzymes I and II split the substrates 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate and naphthol AS-BI phosphate and the activity is strongly increased in the muscles of vitamin E deficient rabbits. Isoenzyme III splits only 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate and the activity is not increased in the muscles of vitamin E deficient rabbits. The pH-optimum for isoenzymes I and II is 4.8 and for isoenzyme III 5.5. It has been shown that the histochemical semipermeable membrane technique, using substrate naphthol AS-BI phosphate, is a very reliable technique for demonstrating activity of the isoenzymes I and II in tissue sections. On the other hand, activity of isoenzyme III cannot be demonstrated with this histochemical technique. In pathologically altered muscles, the activity of the isoenzymes I and II is greatly increased whilst the activity of isoenzyme III is not significantly altered.

MeSH terms

  • Acid Phosphatase / analysis
  • Acid Phosphatase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Extremities
  • Glucuronidase / metabolism
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Isoenzymes / analysis
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism*
  • Molecular Weight
  • Muscles / enzymology*
  • Rabbits
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Vitamin E Deficiency / enzymology*

Substances

  • Isoenzymes
  • Acid Phosphatase
  • Glucuronidase