CHANGES IN "DROPLET" FRACTIONS FROM RAT KIDNEY CELLS AFTER INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION OF EGG WHITE

1. Kidney homogenates from rats injected with egg white and from control rats were fractionated simultaneously into six fractions and the content of acid phosphatase, ribonuclease, desoxyribonuclease, cathepsin, and β-glucuronidase in corresponding fractions from treated and untreated animals was compared. These observations were correlated with the amount of dark brown bottom sediments in fractions NDrI, DrII, and DrIII, and with the number of droplets in fraction NDrI. 2. It was found that after injection of egg white the amount of small droplets decreased as indicated by the decrease of the dark brown bottom layer in the sediment of fraction DrIII and by the concomitant decrease of hydrolytic enzymes in the same fraction, and that the number of large droplets increased as indicated by the increase of brown sediment in fraction NDrI and the increase in the number of droplets counted in a bacterial counting chamber in the same fraction. It was concluded that the treatment with egg white induced the transformation of small droplets into large droplets. 3. The decrease of hydrolytic enzymes in the fractions containing the small droplets was accompanied by a marked increase of these enzymes in the supernatant fluid. The enzyme content of fraction NDrI was not increased after treatment, although it contained greatly increased numbers of large droplets. Counting of the droplets in this fraction showed decreased enzymatic activity of the average large droplet after treatment with egg white. It was suggested that during the transformation of small into large droplets, a portion of the hydrolytic enzymes was released into the surrounding cytoplasm, and that this was partly responsible for the increased enzyme content of the supernatant fluid after fractionation of the kidney homogenate. In contrast to the four other hydrolytic enzymes, β-glucuronidase was not increased in the supernatant fluid. 4. Eighteen hours after intraperitoneal injection of egg white, the specific enzymatic activities of kidney homogenates showed a 25 to 35 per cent increase for cathepsin, ribonuclease, and desoxyribonuclease, no change for acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase, and approximately a 7 per cent decrease for cytochrome oxidase. The increase of cathepsin, ribonuclease, and desoxyribonuclease in the total homogenate was interpreted as an indication of the formation of new enzymes, and it was suggested that this partly accounted for the increase of these enzymes in the supernatant fluid. 5. The activation of the enzymes by osmotic effects was investigated in vitro by incubation of droplet fractions in the presence of different concentrations of sucrose.     

Concentration of acid phosphatase,ribonuclease, desoxyribonuclease,beta-glucuronidase,and cathepsin in droplets isolated from the kidney cells of normal rats

1. Three fractions of "droplets" having diameters of 1 to 5 micro (fraction I), 0.5 to 1.5 micro (fraction II), and 0.1 to 1.0 micro (fraction III) were isolated from the kidney cells of normal rats. 2. All three "droplet" fractions showed 10 to 15 times higher activities of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, ribonuclease, desoxyribonuclease, and cathepsin than the total homogenate and the mitochondrial fraction. 3. After a rough fractionation of the total homogenate, approximately 50 per cent of the 5 enzymes was found in the fractions which contained the "droplets" and approximately 30 per cent in the supernatant fluid. 4. The similarities between the enzymatic properties of the "droplets" from kidney cells and of the fractions isolated from liver cells by other investigators have been discussed.     

CONCENTRATION OF ACID PHOSPHATASE,RIBONUCLEASE, DESOXYRIBONUCLEASE, β-GLUCURONIDASE,AND CATHEPSIN IN "DROPLETS" ISOLATED FROM THE KIDNEY CELLS OF NORMAL RATS

1. Three fractions of "droplets" having diameters of 1 to 5 µ (fraction I), 0.5 to 1.5 µ (fraction II), and 0.1 to 1.0 µ (fraction III) were isolated from the kidney cells of normal rats. 2. All three "droplet" fractions showed 10 to 15 times higher activities of acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase, ribonuclease, desoxyribonuclease, and cathepsin than the total homogenate and the mitochondrial fraction. 3. After a rough fractionation of the total homogenate, approximately 50 per cent of the 5 enzymes was found in the fractions which contained the "droplets" and approximately 30 per cent in the supernatant fluid. 4. The similarities between the enzymatic properties of the "droplets" from kidney cells and of the fractions isolated from liver cells by other investigators have been discussed.     

Co-extraction of egg white proteins using ion-exchange chromatography from ovomucin-removed egg whites

Efficient isolation of egg white components is desired due to its potential uses. Existing methods mainly targeted on one specific protein; an attempt has been made in the study to co-extract all the valuable egg white components in a continuous process. Ovomucin was first isolated by our newly developed two-step method; the resultant supernatant obtained after ovomucin isolation was used as the starting material for ion-exchange chromatography. Anion-exchange chromatography of 100 mM supernatant yielded a flow-through fraction and three other fractions representing ovotransferrin, ovalbumin and flavoproteins. The flow-through fraction was further separated into ovoinhibitor, lysozyme, ovotransferrin and an unidentified fraction which represents 4% of total egg white proteins. Chromatographic separation of 500 mM supernatant resulted in fractions representing lysozyme, ovotransferrin and ovalbumin. This co-extraction protocol represents a global recovery of 71.0% proteins.     

Characterization of ribonucleases and ribonuclease inhibitor in subcellular fractions from rat adrenals

1. The presence of two RNA-degrading enzymes, one with optimum activity at pH5.6 (acid ribonuclease) and the other with optimum activity at pH7.8 (alkaline ribonuclease), in rat adrenals has been demonstrated. The acid ribonuclease was localized in the mitochondrial fraction whereas the alkaline ribonuclease was present in mitochondria as well as in the supernatant fraction. Freezing and thawing of mitochondria and treatment with Triton X-100 gave a three- to four-fold increase in acid-ribonuclease activity, whereas the mitochondrial alkaline-ribonuclease activity was practically unaffected. 2. The amount of free ribonuclease in the adrenal supernatant was small. Treatment of the supernatant fraction with N-ethylmaleimide resulted in release of large amounts of ribonuclease activity, indicating the presence of a ribonuclease inhibitor having reactive thiol groups. 3. Considerable amounts of free ribonuclease inhibitor in excess over the bound alkaline ribonuclease are present in the rat-adrenal supernatant fraction. The inhibitor is heat-labile and non-diffusible. A 400-500-fold purification of the ribonuclease inhibitor was achieved by ammonium sulphate fractionation, treatment with calcium phosphate gel and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. It is concluded that the adrenal inhibitor is protein in nature, similar to the inhibitor present in rat liver.     

The metabolism of chromosomal ribonucleic acid in Drosophila salivary glands and its relation to synthesis of desoxyribonucleic acid

Incorporation of adenine-8-C(14) into chromosomal nucleic acids of Drosophila salivary glands has been observed with the autoradiographic technique. RNA-C(14) and DNA-C(14) were detected as the fractions extractable by ribonuclease digestion and resistant to ribonuclease, respectively. Extractions with desoxyribonuclease and acids were also used to identify the nucleic acids. Time-course curves were determined from grain counts. RNA-C(14) concentration reached a maximum in 2 hours, and decreased after the 4th hour. DNA-C(14) concentration reached its maximum within 8 hours, and showed no decreases during a 48-hour experiment. In the latter part of the period of observation, morphological differentiation of the gland occurred, the decrease in RNA-C(14) became very rapid, and a large increase in DNA-C(14) was observed. Marked decrease in RNA-C(14) and increase in DNA-C(14) were detectable in a few hours when isotope was administered shortly before visible differentiation of the gland. Measurements of nuclear size indicated no significant decreases in RNA-C(14) amount prior to the period of differentiation. During this later period, a large decrease in RNA-C(14) amount occurs suddenly, and the same amount of C(14) is added simultaneously to the DNA fraction, as expected if RNA-C(14) is utilized in the synthesis of DNA.     

Differences in targeting and secretion of cathepsins B and L by BALB/3T3 fibroblasts and Moloney murine sarcoma virus-transformed BALB/3T3 fibroblasts

BALB/3T3 fibroblasts (3T3) were observed to secrete latent, pepsin-activatable forms of cathepsin B and cathepsin L as well as an active form of beta-glucuronidase when cultured in the absence of serum. The secretion of these proteins was stimulated by the cation ionophore monensin: cathepsin B, 4.3-fold; cathepsin L, 7.2-fold; and beta-glucuronidase, 3.1-fold. These increases were accompanied by a 50% decline in cellular levels of the active forms of these enzymes and by the cellular accumulation of latent forms of cathepsin B and cathepsin L. Latent forms of beta-glucuronidase were not detected. In contrast, Moloney murine sarcoma virus-transformed BALB/3T3 fibroblasts (MMSV) secreted greatly increased amounts of latent cathepsin B (17-fold) and latent cathepsin L (27-fold), and moderately increased amounts of active beta-glucuronidase (2-fold) in a manner which was not further increased by monensin. The increased monensin-insensitive secretion of these lysosomal enzymes by MMSV cells may be due to a transformation-induced decrease in mannose 6-phosphate receptors. Thus, 3T3 cells bound the neoglycoconjugate pentamannosyl 6-phosphate-bovine serum albumin at 4 degrees C in a pentamannosyl 6 phosphate and mannose 6-phosphate-inhibitable manner, whereas MMSV cells showed no measurable cell surface mannose 6-phosphate receptor binding activity.     

Glycolytic enzyme levels in synaptosomes

The specific activities of glucosephosphate isomerase, aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase, glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were all higher in the synaptoplasmic fraction from rat brain than in 100,000 g supernatant fraction of rat brain homogenates when the supernatants were prepared in high ionic strength solutions. Four enzymes in synaptosomes and two enzymes in homogenates were associated with particulate fractions as indicated by the large increase in specific activity of the enzymes when samples were treated with 0.3 M KCl before centrifugation. Glucosephosphate isomerase, aldolase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were the enzymes that showed a large increase in specific activity following salt treatment of isolated, synaptosomal membrane while aldolase and pyruvate kinase were the two enzymes which showed a large increase in specific activity in the high speed supernatant fractions. Because the specific activities of many enzymes are found to be elevated not only in synaptosomes but in synaptosomal membrane fractions it is suggested that these enzymes may provide the potential for significantly enhanced glycolysis at these locations.     

Latency differences of lysosomal enzymes in cardiac and skeletal muscles of male and female mice

The purpose of this study was to compare the latencies of lysosomal enzymes (beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, arylsulphatase and acid ribonuclease) in heart and in red and white skeletal muscle of male and female mice (Mus musculus). The unsedimentable, free activities together with releasable (Triton X-100, hypotonic shock and freeze-thawing treatments) and unreleasable, bound activities were assayed. The distribution of acid hydrolases to different fractions was strikingly heterogeneous. The most distinct differences occurred between the distributions of beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. The differences between muscle types occurred in the activity levels of lysosomal enzymes, rather than in the fractional distributions. Sex-related differences were small and occurred mainly in the activity levels of heart muscle (higher in female mice). The results suggest that the heterogeneous distribution of lysosomal enzymes originates in the compartmental differences of lysosomal enzymes in muscle cells, rather than the differences in cell populations of different muscle types.     

Effect of a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent on lysosomal stability in adjuvant induced arthritis

The effect of new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents on lysosomal stability was studied by determining the activity of beta-glucuronidase, a typical lysosomal enzyme, in various sub-cellular fractions and its release from the lysosome-rich fraction. Adjuvant arthritic animals showed a significant increase in the beta-glucuronidase activity in sub-cellular fractions. The increased rate of the release of beta-glucuronidase from lysosome-rich fraction clearly suggested that arthritic syndrome caused decreased stability of the lysosomes. Administration of boswellic acids or salai-guggal to arthritic animals was found to increase the lysosomal stability by inhibiting the rate of release from lysosome-rich fraction and reducing beta-glucuronidase activity in various sub-cellular fractions. Of the two anti-inflammatory agents tested, salai-guggal was found to afford more therapeutic value than boswellic acids.     

The use of phospholipid vesicles for in vitro studies on cholesteryl ester hydrolysis.

Radiolabeled cholesteryl oleate was incorporated into vesicles prepared from egg yolk lecithin and utilized as a substrate for studies of sterol ester hydrolases present in rat liver homogenates. The cholesteryl oleate was shown to be associated with vesicles (unilamellar liposomes) using Sepharose 4B chromatography. With this substrate, two different cholesteryl ester hydrolytic enzymes were demonstrated in subcellular fractions from the liver homogenates. In the lysosome-rich fraction an acid hydrolase was present, while in the cytosol fraction (150,000 g supernatant), hydrolytic activity was shown to occur with an optimum pH between 8 and 8.5. The substrate was characterized by Sepharose chromatography both before and after incubation with the liver fraction and was not dramatically altered even by rigorous incubation conditions. The lysosomal enzyme preparation was capable of hydrolyzing almost all the cholesteryl oleate in the vesicles. Hydrolysis of the phospholipid was proportionately much less than that of the cholesteryl oleate. Comparisons were performed between the vesicle preparation and an alternate substrate preparation involving the direct addition of cholesteryl oleate in acetone solution. The vesicles appeared to be a better substrate for the lysosomal enzyme whereas the activity in the cytosol fraction did not distinguish between the two substrate preparations. Unsonicated suspensions of cholesteryl oleate and lecithin did not serve as suitable substrates for the enzymes. These studies demonstrate the applicability of cholesteryl ester-containing vesicles as a useful substrate for studying cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in vitro.     

Acid hydrolases of the rat uterus in relation to pregnancy, post-partum involution and collagen breakdown

1. The rat uterus contains acid cathepsin, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, acid phosphatase and deoxyribonuclease II at concentrations comparable with those found in liver. Two non-hydrolytic uterine enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and aspartate aminotransferase, display only 2-6% of the activity found in liver. 2. The concentrations of acid cathepsin and beta-glucuronidase are significantly decreased in pregnancy and increase 3-4-fold during post-partum involution. 3. The concentrations of beta-galactosidase and acid phosphatase are not decreased in pregnancy and increase only 2-3-fold during involution. 4. The concentrations of these four acid hydrolases increase linearly during the first 4 days post partum and reach their peak values at the same time that wet weight and collagen content fall to their lowest point. 5. The concentration of deoxyribonuclease is depressed in pregnancy but does not rise above normal in the post-partum period. 6. Only a small proportion of each hydrolytic activity can be isolated in the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction of sucrose homogenates of the rat uterus. This proportion increases during involution. However, the extensive mitochondrial rupture occurring during homogenization indicates that the technique is probably too harsh to obtain a true measure of the proportion of lysosomes present in the intact tissue. 7. There are no significant changes in either the concentration or subcellular distribution of the five acid hydrolases in the livers of the experimental rats during pregnancy or involution. In each case the largest proportion of the activity is found in the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction of liver homogenates. 8. The results are interpreted in terms of the lysosomal theory of intracellular digestion.     

Toxic effects of different concentrations of dimethoate on lysosomal enzymes of female albino rats.

The effect of three different concentrations of dimethoate on the activity of certain lysosomal enzymes, viz. beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, cathepsin B and cathepsin D in serum, skin, liver, kidney and spleen and the stability of liver and kidney lysosomes was studied in female albino rats. The activity of beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, cathepsin D was found to increase in serum and tissues in higher concentration (2.25 mg/100 g body weight) of dimethoate treated rats. A significant increase in the rate of release of beta-glucuronidase was found in the liver and kidney of higher concentration of dimethoate treated rats compared to controls. The results demonstrate that the activity of lysosomal enzymes increased in higher concentration of dimethoate treated rats than the lower concentration (0.56 mg/100 g body weight) of dimethoate treated rats.     

Changes in lysosomal enzyme activities in exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy of mice

The activities of several lysosomal enzymes were assayed in control and in exercise-hypertrophied cardiac muscle of mice (Mus musculus). The repeated running program increased the activity of beta-glucuronidase (16.1%) in mouse cardiac muscle. Decreased activities of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (10.8%), acid ribonuclease (10.7%), and arylsulphatase (14.2%) were observed in the hypertrophied myocardium. The activities of acid deoxyribonuclease, cathepsin C, cathepsin D, and p-nitrophenylphosphatase as well as the activities of citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase, mitochondrial enzymes, were unaffected in cardiac muscle. We suggest that lysosomal enzyme responses are selective and highly different in physiologically and pathologically induced cardiac hypertrophies.     

Localization of lysosomal and digestive enzymes in cytoplasmic vacuoles in caerulein-pancreatitis

Intracellular localization and enzymatic activities of lysosomal enzymes (cathepsin B, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, and beta-glucuronidase) were studied in control rats and after induction of caerulein pancreatitis. In control rats high enzymatic activities were found in the postnuclear 1000 g fraction (purified zymogen granules). The corresponding subcellular fraction in pancreatitis animals additionally contained larger secretory vacuoles and autophagosomes and revealed a marked increase in lysosomal enzyme activities. Immunolabelling studies at the ultrastructural level for trypsinogen and cathepsin B demonstrated a colocalization of lysosomal and digestive enzymes in zymogen granules in healthy controls. After induction of pancreatitis immunolabelling still demonstrated a colocalisation of cathepsin B and trypsinogen in secretory granules and newly formed Golgi-derived secretory vacuoles. Concomitantly appearing autophagosomes were, however, only labelled for cathepsin B. It is concluded that segregation of lysosomal and digestive enzymes is incomplete in normal acinar cells resulting in a colocalization in zymogen granules. In pancreatitis colocalization in secretory granules is maintained, whereas only lysosomal enzymes were sufficiently transferred into autophagic vacuoles. No indication for impaired mechanisms of molecular sorting of lysosomal and digestive enzymes in caerulein-induced pancreatitis was found.     

Influence of CW microwave radiation on in vitro release of enzymes from retinol- treated hepatic lysosomes

Hepatic lysosomes were exposed in vitro to microwave radiation (2450 MHz) either prior to or simultaneously with treatment with retinol (vitamin A), and the release of the lysosomal enzymes, beta-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, and cathepsin D, determined. A 60-min microwave exposure (10 or 100 mW/g) of retinol-treated lysosomes had no effect on the amount of release of beta-glucuronidase, cathepsin D, or acid phosphatase. In addition, 10 and 100 mW/g irradiation of lysosome fractions for 40 min prior to a 20-min retinol and microwave treatment, had no influence on the release of these enzymes. Finally, the effect of microwave radiation on the loss of latency of acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase from retinol-treated lysosomes was determined. Microwave radiation had no influence on the rate of appearance of these enzymes in the suspending medium. The results indicate that microwave radiation had no effect on the retinol-induced lysosomal enzyme release.     

Factors involved in increased protein synthesis in rat kidney after administration of DDT

Homogenates of kidney cortex obtained from control rats and rats treated with DDT have been separated into microsomes or ribosomes, and into postmicrosomal (S105) supernatant fraction or pH 5 supernatant fraction. The incorporation of [¹⁴C]phenylalanyl-tRNA into peptide was increased when microsomes derived from kidneys of DDT-treated rats were incubated with pH 5 supernatant fraction from control rats. Elongation factors (EF) 1 and 2, necessary for the binding of aminoacyltRNA to ribosomes and for translocation of peptidyl-tRNA from the A site to the P site of ribosomes, were present in the pH 5 supernatant fractions of kidney of control and DDT-treated rats and these fractions were incubated with KCl-washed ribosomes obtained from livers of control rats. The results provided evidence that the increased incorporation observed with the pH 5 supernatant fraction obtained from the DDT-treated animals could not be attributed to decreased ribonuclease activity or to increased elongation factor 2 activity but was due to an increase in elongation factor l activity.     

Subcellular Distribution of Enzymes in Ochromonas malhamensis*

SYNOPSIS. The activity and distribution of 7 enzymes in Ochromonas malhamensis were studied. Subcellular organelles were separated by centrifugation at 648,000 g min to precipitate the larger particles; the resulting supernatant was centrifuged at 5,560,000 g min to separate the microsomal fraction from the supernatant. Sixty-four percent of the cytochrome oxidase (1.9.3.1 ferrocytochrome c:oxygen oxidoreductase, 81% of the catalase (1.11.1.6 hydrogen-peroxide: hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase) and 70% of the urate oxidase (1.7.3.3 urate:oxygen oxidoreductase) activity was associated with the larger particles, altho only 20% of the total protein was found in this fraction. Three acid hydrolases, cathepsin (3.4.4.9 cathepsin C, acid phosphatase (3.1.3.2 orthophosphoric monoesterphosphohydrolase) and acid ribonuclease (2.7.7.17 ribonucleate nucleotido-2′-transferase) were found mostly in the supernate (50-60%, yet their latency and their similar subcellular distribution indicated the presence of lysosomes. After 2.5 hr centrifugation in a sucrose density gradient (ρ= 1.08–1.25, the acid hydrolases showed a broad distribution which differed greatly from cytochrome oxidase associated with mitochondria. Catalase, which could not be separated from cytochrome oxidase by centrifuging on this gradient, had a different distribution after centrifugation on a kinetic gradient. Urate oxidase had a similar distribution to catalase and both these enzymes were latent, indicating the presence of peroxisomes.     

Subcellular fractionation of porcine neutrophils by nitrogen cavitation and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation

Neutrophils, isolated in large quantities from porcine blood were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and separated by differential centrifugation into a nuclear fraction and a post-nuclear supernatant. The latter was subfractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation into cytosol, a fraction consisting of membrane vesicles and two granule-rich fractions. The membrane fraction accounted for 1.9% of the protein in the post-nuclear supernatant, the light granule fraction for 2.2% and the dense granule fraction for 4.2%. Catalase, lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase were largely confined to the cytosol. The dense granule fraction contained the highest quantities of the hydrolytic enzymes, although the membrane fraction was also rich in alkaline and acid phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities. Electron microscopy of the membrane fraction showed intact membrane vesicles, whereas the granular fractions consisted of electron-dense, membrane-bound granules. Two granular fractions were isolated which contained granules of differing size and density. 3H-labeled wheat germ agglutinin bound to the surface of intact neutrophils and when these were disrupted and fractionated the membrane fraction showed a specific binding activity 16-times greater than that of the cavitated sample. The membrane fraction interacted with the detergent digitonin and as a result underwent density perturbation increasing from 1.13 g X cm-3 to 1.18 g X cm-3. Dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed the membrane fraction to consist of at least 40 protein bands, with relative molecular masses ranging from 200 000-16 000. The granule fractions contained less protein bands, with a protein composition quite distinct from that of the membrane fraction.     

Changes in electronegativity of lysosomal hydrolases during intracellular transport. An isoelectric-focusing study in subcellular fractions of rat kidney.

Isoelectric focusing was used to investigate the multiple forms of acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase in the following, previously characterized subcellular fractions from rat kidney: a special rough microsomal fraction, enriched up to 9-fold over the homogenate in acid hydrolases; a smooth microsomal fraction; a Golgi membrane fraction enriched about 2.5-fold in acid hydrolases and 10- to 20-fold in several glycosyl transferases; and a lysosomal fraction enriched up to 25-fold in acid hydrolases. The electro-focusing behavior of the hydrolases in these fractions was markedly sensitive to the autolytic changes that occur under acidic conditions, even at 4 degrees C. Autolysis was minimized by extracting fractions in an alkaline medium (0.2% Triton X-100, 0.1 M sodium glycinate buffer, pH 10, 0.1 % p-nitrophenyloxamic acid) and adding p-nitrophenyloxamic acid (0.1 %), AN INHIBITOR OF LYSOSOMAL NEURAMINIDASE AND cathepsin D, to the pH gradient. The enzymes in the lysosomal fraction displayed a characteristic bimodal or trimodal distribution. Arylsulfatase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase occurred in an acidic form with an isoelectric point of 4.4, and a basic form with an isoelectric point of 6.2, 6.7 and 8.0, respectively. Acid phosphatase and beta-galactosidase occurred in an acidic, intermediate and basic form with isoelectric points of about 4. 1, 5.6 and 7.4, respectively. In the special rough microsomal fraction these enzymes were mostly in a basic form with isoelectric points between 7.5 and 9; these were 1-2 units higher than the corresponding basic forms in the lysosomal fraction. Treatment of extracts of the rough microsomal fraction with bacterial neuraminidase raised the isoelectric points of all five hydrolases by 1-2.5 units, indicating the presence of some N-acetylneuraminic acid residues in these basic glycoenzymes. The hydrolases in the Golgi fraction were largely in an acidic form with isoelectric points similar to or lower than those of the corresponding acidic components in the lysosomal fraction. The hydrolases in the smooth microsomal fraction showed isoelectric-focusing patterns intermediate between those in the rough microsomal and the Golgi fractions. These findings support the following scheme for the synthesis, transport and packaging of the lysosomal enzymes. Each hydrolase is synthesized in a restricted portion of the r