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ß-Hexosaminidase Isozymes in Human Colonic Carcinoma¹

Departments of Pathology [M. G. B., P. M. K., T. G. P.] and Engineering Biophysics [T. G. P.], University of Alabama Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama 35294

Isoelectric focusing of crude extracts demonstrated that human colonic carcinomas contained a higher proportion of ß-hexosaminidase B than ß-hexosaminidase A, while normal human colonic mucosa contained a higher proportion of the A form of the enzyme. Studies of the isolated isozymes showed that ß-hexosaminidase B was more stable to heat and more active at low pH than ß-hexosaminidase A. Kinetic studies revealed that the A and B forms of ß-hexosaminidase had essentially the same K_m and V_max for -nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminide.

¹ Supported by USPHS Grants CA-15089 from the National Cancer Institute, CA-16764 from the National Cancer Institute through the National Large Bowel Cancer Project, CA-16430 from the National Cancer Institute through the National Prostatic Cancer Project, DE-2670 from the National Institute of Dental Research, and American Cancer Society Grant PDT-9B.

² Supported by NIH Research Career Development Award K4-CA-70584-04. To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 8/18/76. Accepted 12/ 2/76.