Membrane-associated Sialidase of Rat Liver and Its Decrease in Hepatomas

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Abstract
Using the particulate fraction of tissue homogenate, plasma membrane-associated sialidase was assayed at pH 4.5 with bovine brain mixed gangliosides as the substrate. The activity was lower in rat hepatoma induced by 3''-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (MeDAB) and transplantable AH-109A rat hepatoma than in normal rat liver. The enzyme was almost quantitatively solubilized from liver particulate fraction by using 0.5% (w/v) sodium deoxycholate plus 0.2% (w/v) Triton X-100. When chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose, the solubilized activity emerged as a single peak. The enzyme thus obtained was maximally active at pH 4.5, and readily hydrolyzed mixed gangliosides but was less active toward 4-methylumbelliferyl-.alpha.-N-acetylneuraminic acid, 3''-sialyllactose and fetuin. The corresponding enzyme from MeDAB-induced hepatoma was indistiguishable from the liver enzyme in terms of ease of solubilization, pH-activity relationship, chromatographic behavior and substrate preference. It therefore appears that the plasma membrane-associated sialidase of hepatomas differs from that of liver only in the tissue level of activity.