Specific Activities Of Lysosomal Enzymes Research Articles

Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I in a Dog

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of rare illnesses caused by deficient activity of enzymes required for degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Each type of MPS is caused by mutations in one of the genes that encode the 11 acid hydrolases involved in this degradation process, which are present in the lysosomes. Progressive accumulation of GAGs in the lysosomes result in cellular dysfunction and multisystemic clinical signs, with consequent decrease in quality of life and lifespan of the affected patients. The objective of the present work is to report a case of MPS type I in a dog.Case: A mixed-breed male dog of approximately 2-month-old weighing 2.5 kg was referred to Hospital Veterinário de Uberaba with a distended abdomen. At the clinical examination, the patient exhibited a regular nutritional status, pale mucous membranes, 7% dehydration, an arterial pulse rate of 120 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute, and a heart rate of 120 beats per minute. There were increased abdominal volume and tension, and hepatosplenomegaly. The abdominal percussion exam produced a dull tone. Additional findings included muscular atrophy, increased volume in the metaphyseal areas of the thoracic and pelvic limbs, valgus limb deformity in the thoracic limbs, and instability of the hip joint. Radiographic examination revealed a series of bone alterations such as reduced vertebral bodies, a generalized decrease in radiopacity, thin cortical areas in long bones, narrowing of the pelvic canal, and marked deformation and irregularities in acetabular and epiphyseal (both proximal and distal) areas of the femurs and tibias. Ankylosis of the tibiotarsal and tarsometatarsal joints was also observed. There was also loss of trabecular structure and irregularities on the surfaces of all epiphyses of the bones, epiphyseal lines markedly open, and bones that were shorter and thicker than normal. The suspected diagnoses were pseudoachondroplasia and mucopolysaccharidosis. In view of the clinical and radiographic findings, tests were performed to investigate the clinical suspicion of MPS. Consequently, qualitative and quantitative tests of GAGs in the urine, as well as a blood enzymatic essay, were requested; results confirmed the diagnosis of MPS type I. Intensive treatment allowed the patient to reach adulthood. Whenever new clinical signs emerged, they were treated palliatively. As the disease became more severe, the patient died at the age of 3 years.Discussion: Mucopolysaccharidosis type I is a rare disease that exhibits variable clinical signs and for which there is no specific treatment in dogs; these characteristics hinder diagnosis and treatment of patients as the one described in this report. The major clinical signs observed in this case are in agreement with those reported in the literature, according to which the disease can cause severe alterations such as bone defects, increased volume and deformities in the joints of the limbs, corneal opacity, and enlargement of abdominal organs such as the liver and spleen. In considering diagnostic methods for MPS, the main screening test is quantification of GAGs in the urine. The confirmatory test for MPS consists of analysis of the activity of specific lysosomal enzymes in a blood sample; this test allowed the establishment of a diagnosis in this case. Enzyme replacement therapy, in which a recombinant enzyme is used, have yielded good results in humans and dogs. However, this treatment does not cure the disease – it only attenuates the clinical signs and enables the patient to reach adulthood. Access to enzyme replacement therapy was not possible in the present case. As a conclusion, MPS should be included in the differential diagnosis of developmental diseases in puppies. This highlights the importance of further studies and reports on this disease.

Phenotype-oriented NGS panels for mucopolysaccharidoses: Validation and potential use in the diagnostic flowchart.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) are a group of rare genetic disorders caused by deficiency in the activity of specific lysosomal enzymes required for the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). A defect in the activity of these enzymes will result in the abnormal accumulation of GAGs inside the lysosomes of most cells, inducing progressive cellular damage and multiple organ failure. DNA samples from 70 patients with biochemical diagnosis of different MPSs genotypes confirmed by Sanger sequencing were used to evaluate a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) protocol. Eleven genes related to MPSs were divided into three different panels according to the clinical phenotype. This strategy led to the identification of several pathogenic mutations distributed across all exons of MPSs-related genes. We were able to identify 96% of all gene variants previously identified by Sanger sequencing, showing high sensitivity in detecting different types of mutations. Furthermore, new variants were not identified, representing 100% specificity of the NGS protocol. The use of this NGS approach for genotype identification in MPSs is an attractive option for diagnosis of patients. In addition, the MPS diagnosis workflow could be divided in a two-tier approach: NGS as a first-tier followed by biochemical confirmation as a second-tier.

The Lysosomal Protein Arylsulfatase B Is a Key Enzyme Involved in Skeletal Turnover.

Skeletal pathologies are frequently observed in lysosomal storage disorders, yet the relevance of specific lysosomal enzymes in bone remodeling cell types is poorly defined. Two lysosomal enzymes, ie, cathepsin K (Ctsk) and Acp5 (also known as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase), have long been known as molecular marker proteins of differentiated osteoclasts. However, whereas the cysteine protease Ctsk is directly involved in the degradation of bone matrix proteins, the molecular function of Acp5 in osteoclasts is still unknown. Here we show that Acp5, in concert with Acp2 (lysosomal acid phosphatase), is required for dephosphorylation of the lysosomal mannose 6-phosphate targeting signal to promote the activity of specific lysosomal enzymes. Using an unbiased approach we identified the glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzyme arylsulfatase B (Arsb), mutated in mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS-VI), as an osteoclast marker, whose activity depends on dephosphorylation by Acp2 and Acp5. Similar to Acp2/Acp5-/- mice, Arsb-deficient mice display lysosomal storage accumulation in osteoclasts, impaired osteoclast activity, and high trabecular bone mass. Of note, the most prominent lysosomal storage accumulation was observed in osteocytes from Arsb-deficient mice, yet this pathology did not impair production of sclerostin (Sost) and Fgf23. Because the influence of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on bone remodeling in MPS-VI is still unknown, we additionally treated Arsb-deficient mice by weekly injection of recombinant human ARSB from 12 to 24 weeks of age. We found that the high bone mass phenotype of Arsb-deficient mice and the underlying bone cell deficits were fully corrected by ERT in the trabecular compartment. Taken together, our results do not only show that the function of Acp5 in osteoclasts is linked to dephosphorylation and activation of lysosomal enzymes, they also provide an important proof-of-principle for the feasibility of ERT to correct bone cell pathologies in lysosomal storage disorders. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research Published by Wiley Periodicals Inc.

High lumenal chloride in the lysosome is critical for lysosome function.

Lysosomes are organelles responsible for the breakdown and recycling of cellular machinery. Dysfunctional lysosomes give rise to lysosomal storage disorders as well as common neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we use a DNA-based, fluorescent chloride reporter to measure lysosomal chloride in Caenorhabditis elegans as well as murine and human cell culture models of lysosomal diseases. We find that the lysosome is highly enriched in chloride, and that chloride reduction correlates directly with a loss in the degradative function of the lysosome. In nematodes and mammalian cell culture models of diverse lysosomal disorders, where previously only lysosomal pH dysregulation has been described, massive reduction of lumenal chloride is observed that is ~103 fold greater than the accompanying pH change. Reducing chloride within the lysosome impacts Ca2+ release from the lysosome and impedes the activity of specific lysosomal enzymes indicating a broader role for chloride in lysosomal function.

Introduction to the Newborn Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Pompe Disease Guidance Supplement.

* Abbreviations: ERT — : enzyme replacement therapy LSD — : lysosomal storage disorder NBS — : newborn screening Started in 1963 by Robert Guthrie, newborn screening (NBS) is considered to be one of the great public health achievements.1 The original goal of NBS was to screen newborns for conditions that could benefit from presymptomatic treatment and therefore reduce associated morbidity and mortality. As new methods became available that allowed for better screening of newborns (eg, tandem mass spectrometry), the scope of NBS broadened and the number of disorders included in NBS programs increased significantly.1,2 Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), which include >50 genetic disorders caused by dysfunctional or deficient activity of specific lysosomal enzymes, are good candidates for NBS.3–7 Pompe disease, a rare, autosomal recessive inherited LSD, is caused by mutations in the acid α-glucosidase ( GAA ) gene that lead to a deficiency of the lysosomal GAA enzyme. As a result, excess glycogen accumulates in many tissues throughout the body and causes cellular dysfunction and progressive damage to respiratory, cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle; considerable clinical debilitation; organ and system failure; and often death.8 There is a low index of clinical suspicion due to the rarity and heterogeneous nature of Pompe disease’s clinical presentation, often resulting in delays in diagnosis.9–11 The availability of a specific treatment for Pompe disease, namely enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa,12,13 that can treat this progressive disorder makes early diagnosis crucial, especially in infants with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease, the most … Address correspondence to Priya S. Kishnani, MD, Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, 595 LaSalle St, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: priya.kishnani{at}duke.edu

Impact of Solvent pH on Direct Immobilization of Lysosome-Related Cell Organelle Extracts on TiO₂ for Melanin Treatment.

Techniques for immobilizing effective enzymes on nanoparticles for stabilization of the activity of free enzymes have been developing as a pharmaceutical field. In this study, we examined the effect of three different pH conditions of phosphate buffer, as a dissolving solvent for lysosomal enzymes, on the direct immobilization of lysosomal enzymes extracted from Hen's egg white and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, which are extensively used in many research fields, were used in this study. The lysosomal enzymes immobilized on TiO2 under each pH condition were evaluated to maintain the specific activity of lysosomal enzymes, so that we can determine the degree of melanin treatment in lysosomal enzymes immobilized on TiO2. We found that the immobilization efficiency and melanin treatment activity in both lysosomal enzymes extracted from Hen's egg white and S. cerevisiae were the highest in an acidic condition of phosphate buffer (pH 4). However, the immobilization efficiency and melanin treatment activity were inversely proportional to the increase in pH under alkaline conditions. In addition, enhanced immobilization efficiency was shown in TiO2 pretreated with a divalent, positively charged ion, Ca(2+), and the melanin treatment activity of immobilized lysosomal enzymes on TiO2 pretreated with Ca(2+) was also increased. Therefore, this result suggests that the immobilization efficiency and melanin treatment activity of lysosomal enzymes can be enhanced according to the pH conditions of the dissolving solvent.

Changes in the morphology and lability of lysosomal subpopulations in caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis

Background and aims Lysosomes play an important role in acute pancreatitis (AP). Here we developed a method for the isolation of lysosome subpopulations from rat pancreas and assessed the stability of lysosomal membranes. Methods AP was induced by four subcutaneous injections of 20 μg caerulein/kg body weight at hourly intervals. The animals were killed 9 h after the first injection. Marker enzymes [N-acetyl-β- d-glucosaminidase (NAG), cathepsin B and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)] were assayed in subcellular fractions from control pancreas and in pancreatitis. Lysosomal subpopulations were separated by Percoll density gradient centrifugation and observed by electron microscopy. NAG molecular forms were determined by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Results AP was associated with: (i) increases in the specific activity of lysosomal enzymes in the soluble fraction, (ii) changes in the size and alterations in the morphology of the organelles from the lysosomal subpopulations, (iii) the appearance of large vacuoles in the primary and secondary lysosome subpopulations, (iv) the increase in the amount of the NAG form associated with the pancreatic lysosomal membrane as well as its release towards the soluble fraction. Conclusions Lysosome subpopulations are separated by a combination of differential and Percoll density gradient centrifugations. Primary lysosome membrane stability decreases in AP.

Rat submandibular gland during the maturation process: changes in enzyme activities, protein and lectin-binding profiles.

The total protein glycosylation profile and specific activity of lysosomal enzymes were investigated in rat submandibular glands isolated from very young (1-month), young (1.5-months) and adult rats (3-months) rats. The specific activity of lysosomal hydrolases (i.e. acid phosphatase, arylsulfatases A and B, beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase) decreased in parallel to increasing age of the animals. Furthermore, the thermal stability of acid phosphatase and beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase was influenced by the age of rats. Age-related changes in protein profile regarding the intensity of particular bands as well as the appearance of certain proteins limited to special age groups were also demonstrated as revealed by Coomassie and lectin staining. Moreover, the marked age-related increase in structures Man (alpha1-2, alpha1-3, alpha1-6) Man, Fuc (alpha1-6) GlcNAc as well as Gal (beta1-3) GlcNAc was observed, whereas staining with terminal NeuAc and GlcNAc showed an inverse correlation. The reaction with (beta1-6) branched N-glycans and Gal (beta1-3) Gal structures was limited to 1-month-old rats. No significant changes in a specific reaction with NeuAc (alpha2-3) Gal were observed. We speculate that the observed differences with respect to protein and glycosylation profiles between 1-month-old rats and older ones could be caused by a modification of the diet composition as well as by the functional and morphological maturation of the rat submandibular gland.

Scavenger properties of cultivated pig liver endothelial cells

BackgroundThe liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and Kupffer cells constitute the most powerful scavenger system in the body. Various waste macromolecules, continuously released from tissues in large quantities as a consequence of normal catabolic processes are cleared by the LSEC. In spite of the fact that pig livers are used in a wide range of experimental settings, the scavenger properties of pig LSEC has not been investigated until now. Therefore, we studied the endocytosis and intracellular transport of ligands for the five categories of endocytic receptors in LSEC.ResultsEndocytosis of five 125I-labelled molecules: collagen α-chains, FITC-biotin-hyaluronan, mannan, formaldehyde-treated serum albumin (FSA), and aggregated gamma globulin (AGG) was substantial in cultured LSEC. The endocytosis was mediated via the collagen-, hyaluronan-, mannose-, scavenger-, or IgG Fc-receptors, respectively, as judged by the ability of unlabelled ligands to compete with labelled ligands for uptake. Intracellular transport was studied employing a morphological pulse-chase technique. Ninety minutes following administration of red TRITC-FSA via the jugular vein of pigs to tag LSEC lysosomes, cultures of the cells were established, and pulsed with green FITC-labelled collagen, -mannan, and -FSA. By 10 min, the FITC-ligands was located in small vesicles scattered throughout the cytoplasm, with no co-localization with the red lysosomes. By 2 h, the FITC-ligands co-localized with red lysosomes. When LSEC were pulsed with FITC-AGG and TRITC-FSA together, co-localization of the two ligands was observed following a 10 min chase. By 2 h, only partial co-localization was observed; TRITC-FSA was transported to lysosomes, whereas FITC-AGG only slowly left the endosomes. Enzyme assays showed that LSEC and Kupffer cells contained equal specific activities of hexosaminidase, aryl sulphates, acid phosphatase and acid lipase, whereas the specific activities of α-mannosidase, and glucuronidase were higher in LSEC. All enzymes measured showed considerably higher specific activities in LSEC compared to parenchymal cells.ConclusionPig LSEC express the five following categories of high capacity endocytic receptors: scavenger-, mannose-, hyaluronan-, collagen-, and IgG Fc-receptors. In the liver, soluble ligands for these five receptors are endocytosed exclusively by LSEC. Furthermore, LSEC contains high specific activity of lysosomal enzymes needed for degradation of endocytosed material. Our observations suggest that pig LSEC have the same clearance activity as earlier described in rat LSEC.

Metabolic priorities during starvation: enzyme sparing in liver and white muscle of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.

Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, respond to starvation first by mobilising hepatic lipids, then muscle and hepatic glycogen and finally muscle proteins. The dual role of proteins as functional elements and energetic reserves should lead to a temporal hierarchy of mobilisation where the nature of a function dictates its conservation during starvation. We examined (1) whether lysosomal and anti-oxidant enzymes in liver and white muscle are spared during prolonged starvation, (2) whether the responses of these enzymes in muscle vary longitudinally. Hepatic contents of lysosomal proteases decreased with starvation, whereas those of catalase (CAT) increased and lysosomal enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and glutathione S-transferase (GST) did not change. In white muscle, starvation decreased the specific activity of lysosomal enzymes of carbohydrate degradation and doubled that of cathepsin D (CaD). The activity of anti-oxidant enzymes and acid phosphatase in muscle was unchanged with starvation. In white muscle neither lysosomal enzymes nor anti-oxidant enzymes varied significantly with sampling position. In cod muscle, antioxidant enzymes, CaD and acid phosphatase are spared during a period of starvation that decreases lysosomal enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and decreases glycolytic enzyme activities. In cod liver, the anti-oxidant enzymes, CAT and GST, were also spared during starvation.

Age-Related Increase in Activity of Specific Lysosomal Enzymes in the Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Age related changes in the activity of lysosomal enzymes have been studied in the cultured human retinal pigment epithelium cells collected from 26–85 year old donors. Among four such enzymes studied, activities of cathepsin D and β-glucuronidase increased with the age of the donors while no notable change in activity of arylsulfatase B and α-mannosidase was observed. Kinetic parameters of β-glucuronidase was measured in retinal pigment epithelium cells isolated from donors of different ages. Similar kinetic parameters for β-glucuronidase at different ages suggest that the observed increase in the activity of the enzyme with age is not due to post-translational modification of the enzyme. Western blot analysis provides evidence for increased synthesis of β-glucuronidase with aging. Relative proportions of glycosaminoglycans, the natural substrates of β-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase B, in the retinal pigment epithelium altered with the age of the donors. A significant decrease of dermatan sulfate levels with aging correlates well with the observed increase in the level of β-glucuronidase activity.

Neurochemical effects of prenatal treatment with ochratoxin A on fetal and adult mouse brain

Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin produced by several storage fungi, such as Aspergillus ochraceus and several Penicillium species. OA (3 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally to pregnant mice on day 11 of gestation (day 1 = day of insemination), and neurochemical changes in brains of their offspring were examined at fetal and adult stages. OA treatment produced retardation of intrauterine growth as well as microencephaly and reductions in total weight and DNA content of fetal brains. Specific activities of lysosomal enzymes in fetal brains began to increase by the 2nd day after treatment and to reach peak activities by the 3rd or 4th day after injection, indicative of cell death in the developing brains. Examination of brain regions of offspring three months after birth revealed that both tissue weight and DNA content were reduced to 80% of control in cerebral hemispheres (CHs; cerebral cortex and subjacent white matter, hippocampus, and amygdala) and to 90% of control in remainder of the brain (BGDM; basal ganglia, diencephalon, and mesencephalon). Total content of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA) 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in treated CH showed about 15% reduction, although, expressed on a tissue weight basis, concentrations of these monoamines were increased by about 15%. Total DA content in BGDM was also reduced to 85% of controls, but total content of NA and 5-HT in BGDM and pons-medulla oblongata did not change. These results suggest that synaptogenesis of monoamine neurons in the cerebrum is impaired by prenatal treatment with OA, and that dopaminergic neurons show a slight selective vulnerability to the toxin.

Tissue content and localization of lysosomal enzymes in cholestatic rats.

Levels of the lysosomal enzymes beta-glucuronidase and beta-hexosaminidase were determined in tissues from rats at 1-7 weeks after permanent bile duct occlusion (28 animals) and sham operation (16 animals). With increasing duration of bile duct occlusion, increasing levels were found in the liver and spleen, whereas levels were unaffected in the pancreas, kidneys, brain, muscle, and skin. Histochemical investigation showed that the lysosomal enzymes accumulated in the hepatocytes and in the increasing numbers of reticuloendothelial cells of the liver and spleen during cholestasis. No significant accumulation of lysosomal enzymes was seen in the pancreas. In preparations of isolated hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells increased specific activity of lysosomal enzymes in cholestasis appeared in both cellular fractions. It is assumed that the serum increase of lysosomal enzymes in late cholestasis is partly due to a release from activated macrophages in the liver and spleen.

Alterations in the activities of subcellular fractions marker enzymes in rat liver and brain by hydrocortisone and corticosterone treatment

1. 1. The effect of subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone and corticosterone on the activity values of some subcellular fractions marker enzymes from rat liver and brain was investigated and compared with controls (without treatment with hormones). 2. 2. The following enzymes were studied (subcellular fraction are shown between parentheses): N-acetyl-β- d-glucosaminidase and β-glucuronidase (lysosomes); succinate dehydrogenase = SDH (mitochondria); glucose-6-phosphatase (endoplasmic reticulum); 5′-nucleotidase and Na +K +Mg 2+ ATPase (plasma membrane). 3. 3. The specific activity of lysosomal enzymes from liver showed no change when rats were injected either with hydrocortisone or corticosterone. The same enzymes from brain showed significant increases in their activities with both hydrocortisone or corticosterone except β-glucuronidase; this enzyme gave activity values remaining between the control levels, after treatment with corticosterone. 4. 4. The activity of mitochondrial SDH was increased after corticosterone injection either in liver or brain. After hydrocortisone injection, its activity rises significantly in brain (72%), but it falls in liver compared to the control values. 5. 5. Glucose-6-phosphatase behaves similarly in brain or liver fractions; its activity increases always after corticosterone treatment and decreases by hydrocortisone. 6. 6. The plasma membrane marker enzymes did not change practically in brain fractions, excepted Na +K +Mg 2+ ATPase which tends to rise its activity after hydrocortisone injection. In liver fractions, both 5′-nucleotidase and Na +K +Mg 2+ ATPase activities increase either by corticosterone or hydrocortisone treatment, except 5′-nucleotidase which specific activity decreases in liver after hydrocortisone treatment.

Changes in the metabolism of modified and unmodified low-density lipoproteins during the maturation of cultured blood monocyte-macrophages from normal and homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemic subjects.

Blood monocyte-macrophages from homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemic (FH) patients showed the same pattern of morphological and biochemical changes during maturation in vitro as cells from normal subjects. The protein content of both types of cell increased eightfold during the first two weeks of culture while the ratio of free cholesterol to protein in the cells remained constant. The specific activities of lysosomal enzymes increased between days 2 and 5 and again between days 7 and 12. The specific activity of 5′-nucleotidase increased rapidly during the first two days and then fell. Degradation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by cells from FH patients was not saturable and, when expressed per mg cell protein, gradually declined as the cells matured. Normal cells maintained in medium containing whole serum degraded LDL by an additional, saturable process that was, at all times, decreased if the cells were preincubated in medium with a high concentration of LDL and increased after preincubation with lipoprotein-deficient serum. Saturable degradation of LDL, expressed per mg cell DNA, was highest between the fifth and twelfth days of culture, which was the period of greatest cell growth. The results suggest that normal cells incubated in 20% whole serum expressed LDL receptors to obtain the cholesterol required for their growth, but that the lack of these receptors in cells from FH patients did not prevent normal development. Saturable degradation of acetylated LDL, or LDL complexed with dextran sulphate, was the same in cells from FH patients as in cells from normal subjects. The degradation of each was lower than that of unmodified LDL for the first 5 days in culture, but rapidly increased between days 5 and 9. This increase corresponded with the development of the phagocytic properties of the cells, as indicated by the release of lysosomal enzymes during incubation with opsonized zymosan.

Alkaline phosphatase and acid lysosomal hydrolases in pancreatic juice and fibroblast cell cultures of patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis

Nine lysosomal enzymes and alkaline phosphatase have been assayed in human pancreatic juice from controls and patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis. Specific activities were evaluated by a nonparametric test (Wilcoxon) with a probability of 2 P less than or equal to 0.5. The values of acid phosphatase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase and alpha-galactosidase are significantly higher in pathological juices; the values of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucuronidase are also increased in the same patients but at the limit of significance. Alkaline phosphatase, beta-hexosaminidase and alpha-fucosidase follows the same trend but the values are not statistically significant between the two groups of patients. Studies on skin cultures of four patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis demonstrate that the increased specific activities of lysosomal enzymes in the pathological juices do not correspond to a leakage of these enzymes into the extracellular space as described for cystic fibrosis.

Lysosomal apparatus in uterine muscle: effects of estrogen and of ovariectomy.

In uterine muscle from nongravid rats, the specific activities of lysosomal enzymes change with ovarian hormonal stateand approximate those found inliver.However, inpreviousmorphological studies lysosomes were not found in uterinemuscle from cycling rats.In thisstudy we examined the ultrastructureof rat uterine muscle during estrus,afterovariectomy, and after subsequent injectionof estrogen and/or progesterone,i.e.,under the same experimental conditions used by the author in an earlierbiochemical study (Sloane and Bird, 1977). In uterine muscle cells under estrogen domination, lysosomal dense bodies were routinely observed. These cellsalsohad an extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and Golgi apparatus as well as many vacuoles and residualbodies. Within I day afterovariectomy, coated vesiclesand primary lysosomes could be observed budding from the Golgi or GERL (region of tubules between the Golgi and RER from which lysosomes bud). At 3 weeks postovariectomy, the only lysosomal structurespresent were a few residualbodies. Changes in the number of lysosomes in uterine muscle cellscorrelatedwith changes in lysosomal enzyme activities,yet the number of lysosomes did not seem sufficientto account for the enzyme activity,suggestingthat lysosomal enzymes in uterine muscle may be stored in the RER, Golgi, or GERL.

Effect of 2-deoxyglucose on lysosomal enzymes in cultured human skin fibroblasts

Addition of 2-deoxyglucose, an inhibitor of glycosylation of proteins, to the medium of confluent cultures of human skin fibroblasts prevents the increase in specific activity of lysosomal enzymes that normally occurs after confluence. Maximal inhibition is obtained at a concentration of about 1 mM 2-deoxyglucose. The inhibition by 2-deoxyglucose is reversible. The K m , pH dependence and electrophoretic mobility of the acid hydrolases tested was the same in cells cultured with or without 2-deoxyglucose. In homogenates of cultured human skin fibroblasts, about 95% of the β-hexosaminidase and α-galactosidase activity and about 65 % of the acid phosphatase activity with β-glycerolphosphate as substrate binds to concanavalin A (ConA); 2-deoxyglucose affects only the activity able to bind to ConA. In cells cultured in the presence of 2-deoxyglucose, the specific activity of alkaline phosphodiesterase I, a plasma membrane glycoprotein is lowered. 2-Deoxyglucose has no effect on the specific activity of succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase or total cellular protein.

Stimulation of amniotic fluid cell growth by cartilage growth factor.

Cartilage growth factor (CGF) stimulates the growth of primary and secondary cultures of human amniotic fluid cells. Over a 14--16-day period there is an approximately 70% enhancement in the number of cells in primary cultures and a 170% increase in secondary cultures. Neither the karyotype or the specific activities of lysosomal enzymes are altered by the presence of CGF in the medium.

Long-term storage of tissue samples for cell culture.

The establishment of cultured cell lines from skin biopsies stored at -196 degrees C for periods up to 1 year has been investigated. Attempts to initiate cell cultures from the frozen tissue samples were uniformly successful. There was no alteration in chromosome constitution, morphological appearance, or specific activities of lysosomal enzymes in cells cultured from the stored samples. This process can safeguard against failure of the initial tissue culture and provide an alternate means of storing viable cells when it is impossible or impractical to initiate a cell culture immediately.