The regional distribution, age dependent variation and species differences of brain arylsulphatases

Abstract

The relative proportions of arylsulphatase A and B were determined by the method of Baum, Dodgson and Spencer (1959) in brains of various animal species and it was found that there was a considerable variation in the concentration of these two enzymes. Arylsulphatase A and B of various animal species including rat, man, monkey, sheep and chicken were partially separated using zinc acetate fractionation procedure and gel electrophoresis. The chicken brain arylsulphatase A had a similar electrophoretic mobility to that of arylsulphatase B of other species. Further, chicken brain arylsulphatase A precipitated at a zinc acetate concentration of 0005 M, a condition under which arylsulphatase B from the brain of other species precipitated. Kinetic properties such as K_m value and inhibitory effect of sulphite and phosphate ions indicated that chicken brain arylsulphatase A was similar to arylsulphatase A of other species. The results on regional distribution of arylsulphatase A and B activities in monkey brain and in developing rat brain suggest a relationship between arylsulphatase A and sulphatides and arylsulphatase B and mucopolysaccharides.