Biomaterial Database

A microsystem to assay lysosomal enzyme activities in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells. 1988

L Cabral, and W Unger, and M Boulton, and J Marshall

Department of Clinical Ophthalmology, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.

A microsystem to assay the activity of lysosomal enzymes in a small number of cultured RPE cells is described. The activities of acid phosphatase, a-mannosidase, B-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-B-glucosaminidase were estimated in different human RPE cultures of varying passages. Some biochemical characteristics for each of the enzyme assays were studied including the effect of pH, the saturating concentrations of the appropriate substrates and the relationship between the enzyme activity and the number of cells assayed. The method presented is straightforward, avoids complicated tissue fractionation procedures and is able to estimate enzyme activities in as few as 10(4) cells.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008247	Lysosomes	A class of morphologically heterogeneous cytoplasmic particles in animal and plant tissues characterized by their content of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure-linked latency of these enzymes. The intracellular functions of lysosomes depend on their lytic potential. The single unit membrane of the lysosome acts as a barrier between the enzymes enclosed in the lysosome and the external substrate. The activity of the enzymes contained in lysosomes is limited or nil unless the vesicle in which they are enclosed is ruptured or undergoes MEMBRANE FUSION. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed).	Autolysosome,Autolysosomes,Lysosome
D008722	Methods	A series of steps taken in order to conduct research.	Techniques,Methodological Studies,Methodological Study,Procedures,Studies, Methodological,Study, Methodological,Method,Procedure,Technique
D010857	Pigment Epithelium of Eye	The layer of pigment-containing epithelial cells in the RETINA; the CILIARY BODY; and the IRIS in the eye.	Eye Pigment Epithelium
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D004795	Enzyme Stability	The extent to which an enzyme retains its structural conformation or its activity when subjected to storage, isolation, and purification or various other physical or chemical manipulations, including proteolytic enzymes and heat.	Enzyme Stabilities,Stabilities, Enzyme,Stability, Enzyme
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man