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Acid Ribonuclease in Liver Cell Sap

Nature volume 199, pages 176–177 (1963)Cite this article

Abstract

THE acid ribonuclease of rat liver cytoplasm is located mainly in particles (‘lysosomes’), and shows ‘total’ activity only if a treatment such as freezing and thawing is applied1,2. However, as much as one-quarter of the cytoplasmic activity is found in the supernatant fraction from liver homogenates, even with a centrifugal force as high as 105,000g. This supernatant-fraction activity, expressed per gm of tissue, is markedly increased in the case of hepatomas3,4, precancerous liver from rats fed an azo dye3, or liver from adrenalectomized rats5. De Duve1 showed that autolysis likewise lead to increased supernatant-fraction activity of lysosomal enzymes, but remarked that the results “have been obtained on homogenates and it remains to be seen to what extent they apply to the cells themselves”; obviously an increase in supernatant-fraction activity could be attributed to increased fragility of lysosomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chester Beatty Research Institute, Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital, London, S.W.3

    E. REID & J. T. NODES

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  1. E. REID
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  2. J. T. NODES
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REID, E., NODES, J. Acid Ribonuclease in Liver Cell Sap. Nature 199, 176–177 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/199176a0

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