Subcellular localisation and properties of histone phosphate phosphatase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: alterations in pregnancy and chronic granulocytic leukaemia and relationship to alkaline phosphatase

Abstract

Using [ 32P]histone as substrate, an assay for histone phosphate phosphatase was optimised for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Kinetic studies showed that the activity was optimal at pH 6.8, was stimulated by Mn 2+ and Co 2+, and inhibited by sodium sulphite and zinc chloride. The apparent K m of the enzyme for histone phosphate was 0.89 μmol/l. Neutrophils were homogenized in isotonic sucrose and, after low speed centrifugation, the supernatant was subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation. Gradient fractions were assayed for principal marker enzymes and for histone phosphate phosphatase. Histone phosphate phosphatase activity was shown to be solely located to the cytosol. No activity was detected in the alkaline phosphatase-containing granules. Neutrophils were isolated from the blood of control subjects, patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia and women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The specific activity (milliunits/mg protein) of histone phosphate phosphatase was significantly reduced in patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia compared to control values but this decrease was considerably less than that found for alkaline phosphatase. The possible implication of the reduced histone phosphatase activity in leukaemia neutrophils is discussed. There was no significant change in histone phosphate phosphatase in leucocytes from pregnant women. These results, together with the subcellular fractionation experiments and inhibitor studies, strongly indicate that histone phosphate phosphatase is not attributable to neutrophil alkaline phosphatase.