beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases in the spleen of a patient with hairy-cell leukaemia

The spleen from a patient with hairy-cell leukaemia had beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity that could be resolved into three isoenzymes by chromatography on phenyl boronate agarose. Two of these were the major forms, A and B, found in normal tissues but, in addition, there was an 'extra' form that accounted for 15% of total activity. The 'extra' form hydrolysed the synthetic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulphate, indicating the presence of alpha-subunits. It was more acidic than A, was less heat-stable and showed no generation of B on denaturation under a variety of conditions. These findings and the immunoblot (Western blotting) analysis demonstrate that the 'extra' form is entirely composed of alpha-subunits, and most closely resembles S, the residual activity in Sandhoff's disease.     

Treatment of HL-60 cells with dimethyl sulphoxide inhibits the formation of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase S.

beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase of HL-60 cells was separated into two main forms, A and S, by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Analysis of developmental changes in the isoenzyme pattern was complicated by the fact that the specific activity of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase underwent a 6-fold change during the normal growth cycle. Two other lysosomal enzymes, beta-galactosidase and alpha-mannosidase, behaved similarly. Induction of differentiation of HL-60 cells with dimethyl sulphoxide at a low cell density (3 x 10(5) cells/ml) had a greater effect on the abundance of alpha-subunits of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, measured with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-N-acetylglucosaminide 6-sulphate, than of beta-subunits, measured with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-N-acetylglucosamine, and resulted in an isoenzyme profile in which A and B were the major forms, with the levels of form S greatly decreased.     

Human liver N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase. Catalytic properties.

Kinetic parameters (Km and kcat.) of the two major forms (A and B) and a minor form (C) of human liver N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase [Freeman, Clements & Hopwood (1987) Biochem. J. 246, 347-354] were determined with a variety of substrates matching structural aspects of the physiological substrates in vivo, namely heparin, heparan sulphate and keratan sulphate. Enzyme activity is highly specific towards glucosamine 6-sulphate or glucose 6-sulphate residues. More structurally complex substrates, in which several aspects of the aglycone structure of the natural substrate were maintained, are hydrolysed with catalytic efficiencies up to 3900 times above that observed for the monosaccharide substrate N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulphate. Forms A and B both desulphate substrates derived from keratan sulphate and heparin. Aglycone structures that influence substrate binding and/or enzyme activity were penultimate-residue 6-carboxy and 2-sulphate ester groups for heparin-derived substrates and penultimate-residue 6-sulphate ester groups for keratan sulphate-derived substrates. The 4-hydroxy group of the N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulphate or the 2-sulphaminoglucosamine 6-sulphate under enzymic attack is involved in the catalytic mechanism. The presence of a 2-amino group in place of a 2-acetamido or a 2-sulphoamino group considerably decreases the catalytic efficiency of the sulphatase, particularly in the absence of a penultimate-aglycone-residue 6-carboxy group. Both forms A and B are exo-enzymes, since activity towards internal sulphate ester bonds was not observed. The effect of incubation pH on enzyme activity towards the variety of substrates evaluated was complex and dependent on substrate aglycone structure. The presence of aglycone 2-sulphate ester, 6-carboxy group and 6-sulphate ester groups on the glucosamine 6-sulphate residue under attack considerably affects the pH response. Sulphate and phosphate ions are potent inhibitors of enzyme activity.     

X-ray-diffraction patterns from chondroitin 4-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparan sulphate

Ordered conformations from the sodium salts of chondroitin 4-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparan sulphate were observed by X-ray diffraction. Chondroitin 4-sulphate shows similar threefold helical character to that previously reported for chondroitin 6-sulphate and hyaluronates. Dermatan sulphate forms an eightfold helix with an axial rise per disaccharide of 0.93nm, which favours the l-iduronic acid moiety in the normal C1 chair form. The layer-line spacing and axial projection in heparan sulphate of 1.86nm favours a tetrasaccharide repeat with glycosidic linkages alternating beta-d-(1-->4) and alpha-d-(1-->4).     

An enzyme with properties similar to those of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase S is expressed in the promyelocytic cell line HL-60.

Extracts of the human promyelocytic cell line HL-60 contain a form of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase that is not retained on columns of benzeneboronate-agarose ('phenylboronate-agarose') and has a pI value lower than that of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A. It is clearly distinct from beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A in its behaviour on DEAE-cellulose columns, and it requires a higher concentration of salt for its elution. This 'extra' form has a higher ratio of activity towards 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-N-acetylglucosaminide 6-sulphate and 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-N-acetylglucosaminide than has beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A and is less stable when heated at 50 degrees C. It has a pH optimum of 4.5 and is therefore not beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase C. Anti-(human beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase alpha-subunit) serum precipitated both beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A and the 'extra' form, whereas an anti-(beta-subunit) serum precipitated beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A but not the 'extra' form. Western blotting and immunodetection of polypeptides derived from the 'extra' form revealed a band corresponding in size to mature alpha-subunits. On the basis of this and of its behaviour on isoelectric focusing, chromatofocusing and its kinetic properties, we conclude that the 'extra' form is composed of alpha-subunits and resembles beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase S, the residual form in Sandhoff's disease.     

Human liver glucuronate 2-sulphatase. Purification, characterization and catalytic properties.

Human glucuronate 2-sulphatase (GAS), which is involved in the degradation of the glycosaminoglycans heparan sulphate and chondroitin 6-sulphate, was purified almost 2,000,000-fold to homogeneity in 8% yield from liver with a four-step six-column procedure, which consists of a concanavalin A-Sepharose/Blue A-agarose coupled step, a DEAE-Sephacel/octyl-Sepharose coupled step, CM-Sepharose chromatography and gel-permeation chromatography. Although more than 90% of GAS activity had a pI of greater than 7.5, other forms with pI values of 5.8, 5.3, 4.7 and less than 4.0 were also present. The pI greater than 7.5 form of GAS had a native molecular mass of 63 kDa. SDS/polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoretic analysis resulted in two polypeptide subunits of molecular mass 47 and 19.5 kDa. GAS was active towards disaccharide substrates derived from heparin [O-(beta-glucuronic acid 2-sulphate)-(1----4)-O-(2,5)-anhydro[1-3H]mannitol 6-sulphate (GSMS)] and chondroitin 6-sulphate [O-(beta-glucuronic acid 2-sulphate-(1----3)-O-(2,5)-anhydro[1-3H]talitol 6-sulphate (GSTS)]. GAS activity towards GSMS and GSTS was at pH optima of 3.2 and 3.0 respectively with apparent Km values of 0.3 and 0.6 microM respectively and corresponding Vmax values of 12.8 and 13.7 mumol/min per mg of protein respectively. Sulphate and phosphate ions are potent inhibitors of enzyme activity. Cu2+ ions stimulated, whereas EDTA inhibited enzyme activity. It was concluded that GAS is required together with a series of other exoenzyme activities in the lysosomal degradation of glycosaminoglycans containing glucuronic acid 2-sulphate residues.     

Protein–polysaccharide of chicken cartilage and chondrocyte cell cultures

The nature of the matrix produced by embryonic chicken chondrocytes in cell culture was studied, and compared with adult and embryonic chicken cartilage. Adult chicken cartilage contains a protein-polysaccharide easily extracted with EDTA-sodium chloride at 4 degrees C. Purification of this macromolecule on Bio-Gel P-300 and Bio-Gel A-50m yielded a progressively more homogeneous species in the ultracentrifuge. It contained mostly chondroitin 4-sulphate, some chondroitin 6-sulphate, and keratan sulphate. Embryonic chicken cartilage was previously shown to contain mostly chondroitin 4-sulphate, some chondroitin 6-sulphate and essentially no keratan sulphate. The matrix produced in chondrocyte cell cultures was shown to contain a protein-polysaccharide with alkali-labile linkages of chondroitin 4-sulphate to the protein core. A fraction was isolated from the matrix with many properties of keratan sulphate.     

X-ray diffraction patterns from chondroitin 4-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparan sulphate (Short Communication)

Ordered conformations from the sodium salts of chondroitin 4-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparan sulphate were observed by X-ray diffraction. Chondroitin 4-sulphate shows similar threefold helical character to that previously reported for chondroitin 6-sulphate and hyaluronates. Dermatan sulphate forms an eightfold helix with an axial rise per disaccharide of 0.93nm, which favours the l-iduronic acid moiety in the normal C1 chair form. The layer-line spacing and axial projection in heparan sulphate of 1.86nm favours a tetrasaccharide repeat with glycosidic linkages alternating β-d-(1→4) and α-d-(1→4).     

Nature and distribution of chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate proteoglycans in rabbit alveolar bone

Summary The type and distribution of mineral binding and collagenous matrix-associated chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate proteoglycans in rabbit alveolar bone were studied biochemically and immunocytochemically, using three monoclonal antibodies (mAb 2B6, 3B3, and 1B5). The antibodies specifically recognize oligosaccharide stubs that remain attached to the core protein after enzymatic digestion of proteoglycans and identify epitopes in chondroitin 4-sulphate and dermatan sulphate; chondroitin 6-sulphate and unsulphated chondroitin; and unsulphated chondroitin, respectively. In addition, mAb 2B6 detects chondroitin 4-sulphate with chondroitinase ACII pre-treatment, and dermatan sulphate with chondroitinase B pre-treatment. Bone proteins were extracted from fresh specimens with a three-step extraction procedure: 4m guanidine HCl (G-1 extract), 0.4m EDTA (E-extract), followed by guanidine HCl (G-2 extract), to characterize mineral binding and collagenous matrix associated proteoglycans in E- and G2-extracts, respectively. Biochemical results using Western blot analysis of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of E- and G2-extracts demonstrated that mineral binding proteoglycans contain chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, and dermatan sulphate, whereas collagenous matrix associated proteoglycans showed a predominance of dermatan sulphate with a trace of chondroitin 4-sulphate and no detectable chondroitin 6-sulphate or unsulphated chondroitin. Immunocytochemistry showed that staining associated with the mineral phase was limited to the walls of osteocytic lacunae and bone canaliculi, whereas staining associated with the matrix phase was seen on and between collagen fibrils in the remainder of the bone matrix. These results indicate that mineral binding proteoglycans having chondroitin 4-sulphate, dermatan sulphate, and chondroitin 6-sulphate were localized preferentially in the walls of the lacunocanalicular system, whereas collagenous associated dermatan sulphate proteoglycans were distributed over the remainder of the bone matrix.     

The disaccharides formed by deaminative cleavage of N-deacetylated glycosaminoglycans.

Chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and keratan sulphate were N-deacetylated by treatment with hydrazine and then cleaved with HNO2 at pH 4.0, and the resulting products were reduced with NaB3H4. This reaction sequence cleaved the glycosaminoglycans at their N-acetyl-D-glucosamine or N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residues, which were converted into 3H-labelled 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol (AManR) or 2,5-anhydro-D-talitol (ATalR) residues respectively. The end-labelled disaccharides, composed of D-glucuronic acid (GlcA), L-iduronic acid (IdoA) or D-galactose (Gal) and one of the anhydrohexitols, were identified as follows: both chondroitin 4-sulphate and chondroitin 6-sulphate gave GlcA----ATalR(4-SO4), GlcA----ATalR(6-SO4), IdoA----ATalR (4-SO4) and GlcA(2-SO4)----ATalR(6-SO4); dermatan sulphate gave IdoA----ATalR(4-SO4), GlcA----ATalR(4-SO4), GlcA----ATalR(6-SO4)----IdoA(2-SO4)ATalR(4-SO4) and IdoA----ATalR (4,6-diSO4); keratan sulphate gave Gal(6-SO4)----AManR(6-SO4), Gal----AManR(6-SO4), Gal(6-SO4)----AManR and Gal----AManR. Several additional disaccharides were generated by treatment of the uronic acid-containing disaccharides with hydrazine to epimerize their uronic acid residues at C-5. A number of these disaccharides were found to be substrates for lysosomal sulphatases and glycuronidases. Methods were developed for the separation of all of the disaccharide products by h.p.l.c. The rate of N-deacetylation of chondroitin 4-sulphate by hydrazinolysis was significantly lower than the rate of N-deacetylation of chondroitin 6-sulphate or chondroitin. Dermatan sulphate was N-deacetylated at an intermediate rate. The relative amounts of disaccharides obtained from chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate and dermatan sulphate under optimum hydrazinolysis/deamination conditions were comparable with the amounts of the corresponding products released from the polymers by chondroitinase treatment.     

The lack of effect of glucosamine sulphate on aggrecan mRNA expression and (35)S-sulphate incorporation in bovine primary chondrocytes

Glucosamine and glucosamine sulphate have been promoted as a disease-modifying agent to improve the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis. The precise mechanism of the action of the suggested positive effect of glucosamine or glucosamine sulphate on cartilage proteoglycans is not known, since the level of glucosamine in plasma remains very low after oral administration of glucosamine sulphate. We examined whether exogenous hexosamines or their sulphated forms would increase steady-state levels of aggrecan and hyaluronan synthase (HAS) or glycosaminoglycan synthesis using Northern blot and (35)S-sulphate incorporation analyses. Total RNA was extracted from bovine primary chondrocytes which were cultured either in 1 mM concentration of glucosamine, galactosamine, mannosamine, glucosamine 3-sulphate, glucosamine 6-sulphate or galactosamine 6-sulphate for 0, 4, 8 and 24 h, or in three different concentrations (control, 100 microM and 1 mM) of glucosamine sulphate salt or glucose for 24 or 72 h. Northern blot assay showed that neither hexosamines nor glucosamine sulphate salt stimulated aggrecan and HAS-2 mRNA expression. Glycosaminoglycan synthesis remained at a control level in the treated cultures, with the exception of mannosamine which inhibited (35)S-sulphate incorporation in low-glucose DMEM treatment. In our culture conditions, hexosamines or their sulphated forms did not increase aggrecan expression or (35)S-sulphate incorporation.     

Effect of trimethylcolchicinic acid on the synthesis and excretion of proteoglycans in tissue culture.

The action of trimethylcolchicinic acid on the synthesis and excretion of proteoglycans has been studied on the L cell strain. The incorporation of precursors has been measured, and proteoglycans produced in the culture medium have been extracted and their concentration determined. The mucopolysaccharide components have been studied by electrophoresis. Control cultures produce hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate and very low concentrations of chondroitin 4-sulphate or 6-sulphate. Cultures treated with trimethycolchicinic acid (4 mu g/ml) produce hyaluronic acid, very high concentrations of chondroitin 4-sulphate or 6-sulphate and only traces of dermatan sulphate. So, trimethylcolchicinic acid does not modify the synthesis of hyaluronic acid: it considerably increases the production of chondroitin 4-sulphate or 6-sulphate and inhibits the production of dermatan sulphate. Protein fraction of the proteoglycans is proportionally increased in treated cultures, but there is no marked difference between amino acid concentrations of proteoglycans extracted from control and treated cultures. A slight fall in the cystine concentrations was the only change in the amino acid content of proteoglycans extracted from treated cultures. A hypothesis to explain these results is discussed.     

The galactan sulphate of the red alga Polysiphonia lanosa.

The structure of the galactan sulphate of P. lanosa has been established by a combination of methylation, treatment with alkali, and partial methanolysis of the alkali-treated polysaccharide to give derivatives of agarobiose. The polysaccharide belongs to the agar class, in which 3-linked derivatives of beta-D-galactose alternate with 4-linked derivatives of alpha-L-galactose in a repeating sequence. In addition to D-galactose itself, the 3-linked units include 6-O-methyl-D-galactose, D-galactose 6-sulphate, and a hitherto unreported unit, 6-O-methyl-D-galactose 4-sulphate. The 4-linked units include L-galactose 6-sulphate, 2-O-methyl-L-galactose 6-sulphate, and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose.     

The sulphation of chondroitin sulphate in embryonic chicken cartilage

1. Whole tissue preparations and subcellular fractions from embryonic chicken cartilage were used to measure the rate of incorporation of inorganic sulphate into chondroitin sulphate in vitro. 2. In cartilage from 14-day-old embryos, [(35)S]sulphate is incorporated to an equal extent into chondroitin 4-sulphate and chondroitin 6-sulphate at a rate of 1.5nmoles of sulphate/hr./mg. dry wt. of cartilage. 3. Microsomal and soluble enzyme preparations from embryonic cartilage catalyse the transfer of sulphate from adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate into both chondroitin 4-sulphate and chondroitin 6-sulphate. 4. The effects of pH, ionic strength, adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate concentration and acceptor chondroitin sulphate concentration on the soluble sulphotransferase activity were examined. These factors all influence the activity of the sulphotransferase, and pH and incubation time also influence the percentage of chondroitin 4-sulphate formed.     

The lack of effect of glucosamine sulphate on aggrecan mRNA expression and 35S-sulphate incorporation in bovine primary chondrocytes

Glucosamine and glucosamine sulphate have been promoted as a disease-modifying agent to improve the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis. The precise mechanism of the action of the suggested positive effect of glucosamine or glucosamine sulphate on cartilage proteoglycans is not known, since the level of glucosamine in plasma remains very low after oral administration of glucosamine sulphate. We examined whether exogenous hexosamines or their sulphated forms would increase steady-state levels of aggrecan and hyaluronan synthase (HAS) or glycosaminoglycan synthesis using Northern blot and ³⁵S-sulphate incorporation analyses. Total RNA was extracted from bovine primary chondrocytes which were cultured either in 1 mM concentration of glucosamine, galactosamine, mannosamine, glucosamine 3-sulphate, glucosamine 6-sulphate or galactosamine 6-sulphate for 0, 4, 8 and 24 h, or in three different concentrations (control, 100 μM and 1 mM) of glucosamine sulphate salt or glucose for 24 or 72 h. Northern blot assay showed that neither hexosamines nor glucosamine sulphate salt stimulated aggrecan and HAS-2 mRNA expression. Glycosaminoglycan synthesis remained at a control level in the treated cultures, with the exception of mannosamine which inhibited ³⁵S-sulphate incorporation in low-glucose DMEM treatment. In our culture conditions, hexosamines or their sulphated forms did not increase aggrecan expression or ³⁵S-sulphate incorporation.     

Urinary excretion of sulphated N-acetylhexosamines in patients with various mucopolysaccharidoses.

Sulphated N-acetylhexosamines have been isolated from human urine and tentatively identified as N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulphate (GlcNAc6S), N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulphate (GalNAc6S), N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulphate (GalNAc4S) and N-acetylgalactosamine 4,6-disulphate (GalNAc4,6diS). Urine from mucopolysaccharidosis-Type-IIID, -IVA and -VI patients compared with that from normal individuals contains elevated levels of GlcNAc6S (380-fold), GalNAc6S (180-fold) and GalNAc4S (420-fold) respectively. Urine from mucopolysaccharidosis-Type-VI patients also contain more than 600 times the normal level of GalNAc4,6diS. Urine from a mucolipidosis-Type-II and a multiple-sulphatase-deficient patient, and, in general, all mucopolysaccharidosis patients studied, contain at least 5-10-fold elevations of sulphated N-acetylhexosamines over the levels detected in urine from normal controls and a alpha-mannosidosis patient. Urine from patients with clinically mild phenotypes contains less sulphated N-acetylhexosamines than isolated from urine of clinically severe mucopolysaccharidosis patients. The source of the four sulphated N-acetylhexosamines is not known. However, incubation of a series of oligosaccharide substrates, derived from keratan sulphate and chondroitin 6-sulphate and containing non-reducing-end beta-linked 6-sulphated N-acetylhexosamine residues, with homogenates of cultured human skin fibroblasts has indirectly been shown to release GlcNA6S and GalNAc6S respectively. Release of GalNAc4S could not be demonstrated in similar incubations of oligosaccharide substrates derived from chondroitin 4-sulphate and containing non-reducing-end beta-linked GalNAc4S residues. We propose that some, if not all, of the sulphated N-acetylhexosamine present in human urine is derived from the action of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase on sulphated GlcNAc or GalNAc residues at the non-reducing end of keratan sulphate, dermatan sulphate or chondroitin sulphate.     

Diagnosis of Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome by the use of radiolabelled oligosaccharides as substrates for the determination of arylsulphatase B activity.

The kinetic parameters (Km and V) of human arylsulphatase B (4-sulpho-N-acetylgalactosamine sulphatase) activity in cultured skin fibroblasts were determined with a variety of substrates matching structural aspects of the physiological substrates in vivo chondroitin 4-sulphate and dermatan sulphate. More structurally complex substrates, in which several aspects of the aglycone structure of the natural substrate were maintained, were desulphated up to 4400 times faster than the minimum arylsulphatase-B-specific substrate, namely the monosaccharide N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulphate. Aglycone structures that influence substrate binding and/or enzyme activity were an adjacent-residue C-6 carboxy group and a second but internal N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulphate residue. Arylsulphatase B activity in fibroblast homogenates assayed with O-(beta-N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulphate)-(1----4)-O-D-(beta-glucuronic acid)-(1----3)-O-D-N-acetyl[1-3H] galactosaminitol 4-sulphate derived from chondroitin 4-sulphate as substrate clearly distinguished Maroteaux-Lamy-syndrome patients from normal controls and other mucopolysaccharidosis patients. We recommend the use of the above trisaccharide substrate for both postnatal and prenatal diagnosis of Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome.     

The kinetic of degradation of chondroitin of sulphates and hyaluronic acid by chondroitinase form Proteus vulgaris.

Km and Vmax. were determined for the degradation by chondroitinase of chondroitin 4-sulphate, 4-sulphate-proteoglycna, chondroitin 6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and hyaluronic acid. Degradation of chondroitin 4-sulphate was inhibited by hyaluronic acid but not by keratan sulphate. The results are discussed with regard to the use to the use of chondroitinase as a sleective reagent for the degradation of tissue glycosaminoglycans.     

Human liver N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase. Purification and characterization.

Human N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase was purified at least 50,000-fold to homogeneity in 78% yield from liver with a simple three-step four-column procedure, which consists of a concanavalin A-Sepharose/Blue A-agarose coupled step, chromatofocusing and Cu2+-chelating Sepharose chromatography. In all, four forms were isolated and partially characterized. Forms A and B, both with a pI greater than 9.5 and representing 30% and 60% respectively of the recovered enzyme activity, were separated by hydroxyapatite chromatography of the enzyme preparation obtained from the Cu2+-chelating Sepharose step. Both forms A and B had native molecular masses of 75 kDa. When analysed by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, form A consists of a single polypeptide of molecular mass 78 kDa, whereas form B contained 48 kDa and 32 kDa polypeptide subunits. Neither form A nor form B was taken up from the culture medium into cultured human skin fibroblasts. The two other forms (C and D), with pI values of 5.8 and 5.4 respectively, represented approx. 7% and 3% of the total recovered enzyme activity. The native molecular masses of forms C and D were 94 kDa and approx. 75 kDa respectively. Form C contained three polypeptides with molecular masses of 48, 45 and 32 kDa. N-Acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase activity was measured with a radiolabelled disaccharide substrate derived from heparin. The development of this substrate enabled the isolation and characterization of N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase to proceed efficiently. Forms A, B and C had pH optima of 5.0, Km values of 11.7, 14.2 and 11.1 microM respectively and Vmax. values of 105, 60 and 53 nmol/min per mg of protein respectively. The molecular basis of the multiple forms of this sulphatase is not known. It is postulated that the differences in structure and properties of the four enzyme forms are due to differences in the state of processing of a large subunit.     

Purification and some properties of arylsulphatases A and B from rabbit kidney cortex.

Arylsulphatases A and B (EC 3.1.6.1) of rabbit kidney cortex were purified 5250- and 7720-fold respectively by a multiple-column-chromatography method. The specific activity toward 4-nitrocatechol sulphate was 42mumol/min per mg for arylsulphatase A and 62 mumol/min per mg for arylsulphatase B. Each enzyme migrated as a single band on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, and the enzyme activity corresponded to the band of protein on the gel. The rate of hydrolysis of ascorbic acid 2-sulphate by arylsulphatase A was three times that for cerebroside 3-sulphate. Arylsulphatase B hydrolysed UDP-N--acetylgalactosamine 4-sulphate and glucosamine 4,6-disulphate, but not galactosamine 6-sulphate.