Biomaterial Database

A specific ultrastructural stain for arylsulfatase A activity in human cultured fibroblasts. 1984

P L Chang, and G Moudgil

A staining reaction was developed to specifically detect arylsulfatase A activity in the presence of arylsulfatases B and C. Nitrocatechol, generated by all arylsulfatases from the substrate p-nitrocatechol sulfate, can be coupled to produce Hatchett 's brown which reacts with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine to yield an osmiophilic polymer visible under the electron microscope. The reaction was made specific for arylsulfatase A by inhibiting arylsulfatase C activity with low pH and arylsulfatase B activity with pyrophosphate. The specificity was confirmed both by electrophoretic analysis and by patient fibroblasts deficient only in arylsulfatase A activity. Under optimal conditions for preserving structural integrity and enzyme activity, enzyme reaction deposits were found mainly around vesicles. Some of these vesicles were large and heterogeneous (48-330 nm in diameter), distributed randomly within the cytoplasm, but most of the positive-reacting vesicles were uniform in size (86 +/- 18 nm in diameter) and distributed in a peripheral zone about 0.1-0.5 micron wide. These periplasmic vesicles might be partly fused with each other or with the plasma membrane. In conclusion, a specific stain for arylsulfatase A activity suitable for light and electron microscopy and the optimal conditions for structural and enzymatic preservations were developed. Although this enzyme has been considered to be lysosomal in origin, most of the activity was detected in periplasmic vesicles near the cell surface.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007966	Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic	An autosomal recessive metabolic disease caused by a deficiency of CEREBROSIDE-SULFATASE leading to intralysosomal accumulation of cerebroside sulfate (SULFOGLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS) in the nervous system and other organs. Pathological features include diffuse demyelination, and metachromatically-staining granules in many cell types such as the GLIAL CELLS. There are several allelic and nonallelic forms with a variety of neurological symptoms.	Arylsulfatase A Deficiency Disease,Cerebroside Sulphatase Deficiency Disease,ARSA Deficiency,Arylsulfatase A Deficiency,Cerebral sclerosis, Diffuse, Metachromatic Form,Cerebroside Sulfatase Deficiency,Greenfield Disease,Greenfield's Disease,Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic, Adult,Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic, Juvenile,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Adult,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Adult-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Infant,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Infant-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Juvenile,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Juvenile-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Late Infantile,Metachromatic Leukoencephalopathy,Sulfatide Lipidosis,ARSA Deficiencies,Adult Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Adult Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Adult-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Adult-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Arylsulfatase A Deficiencies,Cerebroside Sulfatase Deficiencies,Deficiencies, ARSA,Deficiencies, Arylsulfatase A,Deficiencies, Cerebroside Sulfatase,Deficiency, ARSA,Deficiency, Arylsulfatase A,Deficiency, Cerebroside Sulfatase,Infant Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Infant Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Infant-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Infant-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Juvenile Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Juvenile Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Juvenile-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Juvenile-Type Metachromatic Leukodystrophy,Leukodystrophies, Adult Metachromatic,Leukodystrophies, Adult-Type Metachromatic,Leukodystrophies, Juvenile Metachromatic,Leukodystrophies, Juvenile-Type Metachromatic,Leukodystrophies, Metachromatic,Leukodystrophy, Adult Metachromatic,Leukodystrophy, Adult-Type Metachromatic,Leukodystrophy, Juvenile Metachromatic,Leukodystrophy, Juvenile-Type Metachromatic,Leukoencephalopathies, Metachromatic,Leukoencephalopathy, Metachromatic,Lipidosis, Sulfatide,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Adult,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Adult-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Infant,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Infant-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Juvenile,Metachromatic Leukodystrophies, Juvenile-Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Adult Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Infant Type,Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Juvenile Type,Metachromatic Leukoencephalopathies,Sulfatase Deficiencies, Cerebroside,Sulfatase Deficiency, Cerebroside
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
D009940	Organoids	An organization of cells into an organ-like structure. Organoids can be generated in culture, e.g., self-organized three-dimensional tissue structures derived from STEM CELLS (see MICROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS). They are also found in certain NEOPLASMS.	Organoid
D010873	Pinocytosis	The engulfing of liquids by cells by a process of invagination and closure of the cell membrane to form fluid-filled vacuoles.	Pinocytoses
D002396	Catechols	A group of 1,2-benzenediols that contain the general formula R-C6H5O2.	Pyrocatechols,o-Dihydroxybenzenes,ortho-Dihydroxybenzenes,o Dihydroxybenzenes,ortho Dihydroxybenzenes
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
D002553	Cerebroside-Sulfatase	An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of cerebroside 3-sulfate (sulfatide) to yield a cerebroside and inorganic sulfate. A marked deficiency of arylsulfatase A, which is considered the heat-labile component of cerebroside sulfatase, has been demonstrated in all forms of metachromatic leukodystrophy (LEUKODYSTROPHY, METACHROMATIC). EC 3.1.6.8.	Arylsulfatase A,Sulfatidate Sulfatase,Cerebroside Sulfatase,Sulfatase, Sulfatidate
D005295	Ferrocyanides	Inorganic salts of the hypothetical acid ferrocyanic acid (H4Fe(CN)6).
D005347	Fibroblasts	Connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules.	Fibroblast
D006651	Histocytochemistry	Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.	Cytochemistry