Galactosyltransferase activities in pancreas, liver and gut of the developing rat

Two galactosyltransferase activities (1 and 2) were measured in the pancreas, liver and gut of the developing rat embryo. 1. N-Acetylglucosamine:Galactosyltransferase. UDP ¹⁴C]galactose + N-acetylglucosamine → ¹⁴C]galactosyl-β-(1 → 4)-N-acetylglucosamine + UDP. 2. N-Acetylgalactosamine-protein:Galactosyltransferase. UDP ¹⁴C]galactose + N-acetylgalactosamine-protein → ¹⁴C]galactosyl-β-(1 → 3)-N-acetylgalactosamine-protein + UDP. Galactosyltransferases 1 and 2 increased in the pancreas, about 10- and 40-fold in specific activity, respectively, from 11 to 12 days in utero to birth. During this period the activities of both transferases in the liver were somewhat variable, but showed no definite trend. A drop in the level of galactosyltransferase 1 in the pancreas occurred at birth or shortly thereafter. The “Golgimarker” enzyme for liver, galactosyltransferase 1, may be absent or present at low levels in adult rat pancreas.Zymogen granule membrane preparations apparently are devoid of these galactosyltransferase activities. Bromodeoxyuridine, which inhibits the development of the synthetic capability of the specific exocrine proteins, had essentially no effect on the normal accretion of the galactosyltransferase activities in organ cultures of pancreatic rudiments from 13-day rat embryos.