SUBCELLULAR-DISTRIBUTION AND ELECTROPHORETIC BEHAVIOR OF AMINOPEPTIDASE IN HUMAN PLACENTA

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 8  (4) , 327-335
Abstract
The activity of aminopeptidase found by differential centrifugation was distributed in the 3 main subcellular sites of human placenta: the lysosomal-mitochondrial, microsomal and supernatant fractions. Placental lysosomes were isolated from the lysosomal-mitochondrial fraction and identified by EM. The lysosomal and microsomal aminopeptidases presented different electrophoretic patterns, suggesting the existence of multiple molecular forms of aminopeptidase within the human placenta. Serum aminopeptidase appearing during pregnancy showed the same bands as those of the lysosomal enzyme. The increased aminopeptidase in pregnancy serum originated from the lysosomes of the placenta. Placental aminopeptidase bands were absent in fetal serum. The supernatant contained most of the total activity, which was due to contamination of this fraction by retroplacental blood.

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