ISOLATION OF RAT-LIVER LYSOSOMES AND THEIR GENERAL PROPERTIES

Retinol inhibition of some proteolytic enzymes

Automated analyses were used to determine the effect of retinol on the activity of the following proteolytic enzymes: ficin (EC 3.4.4.12), bromelain (EC 3.4.4. 24), trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4.), chymotrypsin A (EC 3.4.4.5), papain (EC 3.4.4.10), clostridiopeptidase A (EC 3.4.4.19), pepsin (EC 3.4.4.1), cathepsin D (EC 3.4.4. 23) from rat-liver and rat-kidney lysosomes and the nonspecific proteolytic enzyme, pronase. Of these proteolytic enzymes only ficin, bromelain, and rat-kidney lysosomal cathepsin D were inhibited significantly by 1x10(-4) M retinol.Some nonproteolytic enzymes not inhibited by retinol were acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), beta-acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30), arylsulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1), and pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40). The inhibition of cathepsin D varied with the substrate used, being greater with hemoglobin than with ovalbumin or bovine serum albumin. Carotene and retinol inhibited ficin and cathepsin D to similar extents. Retinol inhibition of ficin was partially reversible. These studies of proteolytic enzyme inhibition by retinol serve as a simple model for studying retinol-protein interactions in vitro.

A possible transport mechanism for aluminum in biological membranes

The transport mechanism of aluminum in lysosomes extracted from rat liver has been investigated in this paper. The experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that aluminum is transported inside lysosomes in the form of an Al(OH)(3) electroneutral compound, the driving force being the internal acidic pH. This mechanism could help to explain the presence of aluminum in cells in many illnesses.

The interaction of tributyllead with lysosomes from rat liver

The interactions of tributyllead with lysosomes from rat liver have been studied. It results that the organometal compound induces a fast alkalinization in energized lysosomes. The interpretation is that the compound is a potent proton carrier. This function could explain the toxicity, in particular at neurological level of the compound.

Hepatic mitochondrial function and lysosomal enzyme activity in ethanol-potentiated aflatoxin B1 hepatotoxicity

The possible role of hepatic mitochondrial function and lysosomal enzyme activity in ethanol-enhanced aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) hepatotoxicity was studied in male rats. Hepatic ATP content was significantly decreased in rats treated with ethanol (4.0 g/kg body wt.) and AFB1 (2.0 mg/kg body wt.) compared with rats treated with AFB1 alone at 12-72 h after AFB1 administration. The decrease in hepatic ATP content was due to the decrease in the activity of NADH-cytochrome c reductase whereas cytochrome oxidase activity did not differ in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1 when compared to AFB1 alone. Total and free activities of hepatic lysosomal enzymes (glucuronidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase) were significantly increased in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1 at 24-36 h after AFB1 administration when compared to AFB1 alone. The increase in hepatic lysosomal enzyme activities correlated well with the increase in the lipid peroxide level of lysosomes in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1. These findings indicate that the decrease in hepatic mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activities and the increase in lipid peroxide level of lysosomes might lead to a decrease in hepatic ATP content, and that the increase in the activities of hepatic lysosomal enzymes, respectively, enhance the AFB1 hepatotoxicity of ethanol.

Amino acid composition of peptides remaining after in vitro digestion of a gliadin sub-fraction with duodenal mucosa from patients with coeliac disease

Sub-fraction 9-2, derived from fraction 9 of a peptic-tryptic-pancreatinic digest of wheat gliadin and previously shown to be toxic to individuals with coeliac disease, was digested in vitro with duodenal mucosa from patients with coeliac disease in remission and with mucosa from normals. Digestion products from coeliac mucosa caused damage to rat liver lysosomes in contrast to digestion products from normal mucosa which had practically no effects on the lysosomes. Ion exchange chromatography of the digestion products, followed by gel permeation chromatography to remove tissue proteins and amino acids allowed the separation of small peptides. Purification of the peptide residues by reversed-phase HPLC on a C18 column resulted in four subfractions, two of which were cytotoxic to rat liver lysosomes. Amino acid analysis of these latter peptide fractions showed that they were both rich in glutamine/glutamic acid, proline, serine and tyrosine. The results support the hypothesis of defective mucosal digestion as being the aetiology of coeliac disease and suggest that the causative agents are small peptides of apparent Mr congruent to 700 Da, with amino acid analysis corresponding to (Glx)3, (Pro)2, Ser and (Glx)3, (Pro)2, Tyr. These hexapeptides are likely to be H-Pro-Ser-Glx-Glx-Glx-Pro-OH and H-Glx-Glx-Pro-Tyr-Pro-Glx-OH.

Cellular localization and substrate specificity of isoelectric forms of human liver neuraminidase activity

The four major isoelectric forms of human liver neuraminidase (with pI values between 3.4 and 4.8) have been isolated by preparative isoelectric focusing and characterized with regard to their substrate specificity using glycoprotein, glycopeptide, oligosaccharide and ganglioside natural substrates. All forms exhibited a rather broad linkage specificity and were capable of hydrolyzing sialic acid glycosidically linked alpha 2-3, alpha 2-6 and alpha 2-8, although differential rates of hydrolysis of the substrates were found for each form. The most acidic form 1 (pI 3.4) was most active on sialyl-lactose, whereas form 2 (pI 3.9) and 3 (pI 4.4) were most active on the more hydrophobic ganglioside substrates. Form 4 (pI 4.8) was most active on the low-Mr hydrophilic substrates (fetuin glycopeptide, sialyl-lactose). Each form was less active on the glycoprotein fetuin than on a glycopeptide derived from fetuin. Organelle-enriched fractions were prepared from fresh human liver tissue and neuraminidase activity on 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid was recovered in plasma membrane, microsomal, lysosomal and cytosolic preparations. Isoelectric focusing of the neuraminidase activity recovered in each of these preparations resulted in significantly different isoelectric profiles (number, relative amounts and pI values of forms) for each preparation. The differential substrate specificity of the isoelectric forms and the different isoelectric focusing profiles of neuraminidase activity recovered in subcellular-enriched fractions suggest that specific isoelectric forms with broad but defined substrate specificity are enriched at separate sites within the cell.

Incorporation and metabolism of exogenous GM1 ganglioside in rat liver

The pathways of metabolic processing of exogenously administered GM1 ganglioside in rat liver was investigated at the subcellular level. The GM1 used was 3H-labelled at the level of long-chain base ([Sph(sphingosine)-3H]GM1) or of terminal galactose ([Gal-3H]GM1). The following radioactive compounds, derived from exogenous GM1, were isolated and chemically characterized: gangliosides GM2, GM3, GD1a and GD1b (nomenclature of Svennerholm [(1964) J. Lipid Res. 5, 145-155] and IUPAC-IUB Recommendations [(1977) Lipids 12, 455-468]); lactosylceramide, glucosylceramide and ceramide; sphingomyelin. GM2, GM3, lactosylceramide, glucosylceramide and ceramide, relatively more abundant shortly after GM1 administration, were mainly present in the lysosomal fraction and reflected the occurrence of a degradation process. 3H2O was also produced in relevant amounts, indicating complete degradation of GM1, although no free long-chain bases could be detected. GD1a and GD1b, relatively more abundant later on after administration, were preponderant in the Golgi-apparatus fraction and originated from a biosynthetic process. More GD1a was produced starting from [Sph-3H]GM1 than from [Gal-3H]GM1, and radioactive GD1b was present only after [Sph-3H]GM1 injection. This indicates the use of two biosynthetic routes, one starting from a by-product of GM1 degradation, the other implicating direct sialylation of GM1. Both routes were used to produce GD1a, but only the first one for producing GD1b. Sphingomyelin was the major product of GM1 processing, especially at the longer times after injection, and arose from a by-product of GM1 degradation, most likely ceramide.

Comparison of folylpolyglutamate hydrolases of mouse liver, kidney, muscle and brain

The folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities of mouse liver, kidney, muscle and brain were examined by incorporation of methylenetetrahydrofolate polyglutamate reaction products into a stable ternary complex with tritiated fluorodeoxyuridylate and L. casei thymidylate synthetase. Complexes were separated electrophoretically on the basis of charge associated with the polyglutamyl moieties to determine distribution of chain lengths throughout the time course of the reaction. Tissue folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities were allowed to utilize endogenous folylpolyglutamate as substrates by incubating crude tissue extracts at pH 7.4 ang pH 4.5. Kidney and muscle contained relatively reactive hydrolases which were capable of generating intermediates of essentially all chain lengths from folylpentaglutamate, the predominant endogenous species. The relatively low activity in brain also gave rise to all possible intermediates. Liver contained a high concentration of methylenetetrahydrofolate but little hydrolase activity. The activity present in liver gave rise to essentially no intermediates but yielded only the monoglutamate form of the cofactor. When purified lysosomal preparations from liver and kidney were allowed to react with synthetic folylpolyglutamates, the same specificity with regard to reaction products was observed as with endogenous substrates.

Isolation of alpha 1-protease inhibitor from human normal and malignant ovarian tissue

Proteolytic enzymes are associated with normal and neoplastic tissues. Therefore protease inhibitors might also be involved in the control of cell function. alpha 1-protease antigen and antitryptic activity have been found in normal and neoplastic human ovarian homogenate. The inhibitor has been localized to ovarian stromal cells or tumor cells by immunoperoxidase staining. The protein was purified to apparent homogeneity as judged by alkaline gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. Immunochemical studies revealed antigenic similarity of plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor by double immunodiffusion and similar mobility on immunoelectrophoresis and two-dimensional electroimmunodiffusion. The molecular weight was similar to that described for plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor: 60,000 by gel filtration and 53,500 by SDS electrophoresis. Furthermore, the phenotypic pattern as determined by acid starch gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation was PiMM, which is the predominant genetic variant in normal plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor. An inhibitor ws isolated and purified from an ovarian carcinoma that exhibited functional, immunochemical, and physical similarity to the normal ovarian alpha 1-protease inhibitor. alpha 1-protease inhibitor from normal and malignant ovaries competitively inhibited bovine pancreatic trypsin at incubation times of 5 min at 30 degrees C. Inhibition constant (Ki) values were calculated at 0.67 and 0.51 inhibitory units, respectively. The alpha 1-protease inhibitor in malignant cells may be a factor in the control of proliferation in this tissue. Since ovulation is in part a proteolytic event, the alpha 1-protease inhibitor in ovarian cells may play a role in the control of this specialized tissue. Persistance of this protein in malignant ovarian tissue may be a vestige of its differentiated origin.

Response of heterogenous rat liver lysosome populations to starvation and refeeding

Starvation-induced alterations in liver lysosomes and their recovery pattern following refeeding were investigated. Fasting of adult rats for five days caused an increase in 'free' activities of acid hydrolyses in liver homogenates and loss in sedimentation of one of the heterogenous populations of lysosomes that could be isolated by differential centrifugation. Isopycnic sucrose gradient centrifugation revealed a decrease in the median and modal equilibration densities of all the forms of lysosomes in response to the dietary deprivation. Further, starvation also evoked a distinct bimodal distribution in a population that was rich in acid phosphatases, beta-galactosidase and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase. Realimentation of starved animals for 10 days was found to restore the enzyme levels and the sedimentation characteristics to normal profiles.

Hepatic uptake and degradation of trace doses of asialofetuin and asialoorosomucoid in the intact rat

Asialoorosomucoid and asialofetuin were prepared by using sialidase, which was removed chromatographically before the proteins were labelled with radioactive iodine. After intravenous administration of a small amount oa asialoglycoprotein (3--4 microgram/100 g body wt.) protein-bound and non-protein radioactivities in plasmas and livers of rats were determined at intervals over a period of 30 min. Transfer of either tracer protein from plasma to liver was almost complete in 5 min. Proteolysis of asialofetuin was evident very shortly thereafter, but degradation of asialoorosomucoid commenced after a significant delay and was initially slow relative to that of asialofetuin. Studies in vitro with crude hepatic lysosomal enzyme preparations indicated that asialoorosomucoid was less readily digested than asialofetuin, and that desialylation of orosomucoid or fetuin did not noticeably increase the susceptibility of these proteins to protease action. Proteolysis of asialofetuin was also demonstrable in liver homogenates in conditions under which albumin and asialotransferrin were stable. A generalized mathematical model was devised to represent the uptake and degradation of asialoglycoproteins by the liver. The theoretical assumptions that gave the best fits with experiment are outlined and discussed.

Lysosomal damage by gliadin and gliadin peptides; an activity not related to coeliac disease

Rat-liver lysosomes have been used to determine the toxicity of gliadin fractions in relation to coeliac disease. In this study we compared the activity in acid phosphatase release from rat-liver lysosomes by casein, gliadin and by their peptic-tryptic digests. The release of acid phosphatase is not specific for gliadin.

Inhibition of choline incorporation into brain lipids in rats by urethane, a proposed mechanism of depression of the central nervous system

Concentrations and specific radioactivities of choline, acetylcholine, phosphorylcholine, lipid choline, and sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine after i.v. injection of methyl-14C-choline were measured in the brain of untreated controls and of rats anesthesized with urethane. The specific activity was found to be decreased during deep anesthesia by 40% in acetylcholine, 20-30% in phosphorylcholine, 50-75% in lipid choline, and 30-40% in sn-glycero-3-phosphoryl-choline. No significant change was detected in the specific activity of choline. The brain concentration of acetylcholine was increased by 40%, the concentration of sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, however, was diminished by 10% during anesthesia. No change was found in the concentration of the other choline containing compounds investigated. Measuring choline incorporation into 4 subcellular fractions of brain tissue specific activities were found to be decreased by the same percentage, although 2 fractions (nuclei and microsomes) were higher labelled than the 2 other fractions (crude mitochondria with synaptosomes and lysosomes). A correlation between the biochemical and the functional alterations is supported by the dose-effect relationships on both parameters. It is suggested that urethane reduces turnover of lipids and by that mechanism inhibits the exocytotic release of the transmitter from presynaptic nerve endings.

Studies on new intracellular proteases in various organs of rat. 1. Purification and comparison of their properties

1. Specific proteases which inactivate the apo-proteins of many pyridoxal enzymes were found in skeletal muscle, liver and small intestine of rats. The protease from these three organs were purified and their properties were compared. 2. The purified proteases from liver and skeletal muscle appeared homogeneous on acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two different proteases were separated from small intestine. A homogeneous, crystalline enzyme was obtained from the muscle layer while enzyme from the mucosa was partially purified. 3. They showed substrate specificity for pyridoxal enzymes. Their pH optima were in an alkaline region. They showed activity with the substrate of chymotrypsin, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester, but not with that of trypsin, p-toluenesulfonyl-L-arginine ethyl ester. They were inhibited by pyridoxal phosphate or pyridoxamine phosphate and seryl residues were involved in their active center. 4. The four enzymes differed in the following characters: (a) molecular weights; (b) patterns of elution from a CM-Sephadex column; (c) rates of inactivation of substrate enzymes; (d) rates of cleavage of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester; (e) reactivities with antiserum against the enzyme from the muscle layer of small intestine; (f) specific activities. 5. The amino acid composition and effect of chemical modifications of the crystalline enzyme from the muscle layer of small intestine were examined to elucidate its active sites and mode of action. Serine and histidine residues were found to be essential for protease activity. A tyrosine residue was also necessary for activity. Modifications of its sulfhydryl group, amino residues and carboxyl group had no effect on its activity.

Progesterone-induced lysis of rat kidney lysosomes as studied by changes in light-absorbance

1. A rat kidney lysosomal fraction was prepared by the method of Maunsbach (1966) and characterized by its content of representative marker enzymes for lysosomes, mitochondria, peroxisomes and endoplasmic reticulum. 2. It was shown that both pH-dependent and progesterone-induced lysis lead to a decrease in the E(520) of suspensions of this preparation. This decrease parallels quantitatively and temporally the release of soluble acid phosphatase. 3. It is suggested that E(520) measurements are a valid method for the continuous measurement of changes in lysosomal integrity. 4. As an example, results are included which demonstrate the ability of Zn(2+) to stabilize lysosomes against spontaneous and progesterone-induced lysis.

Degradation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (guanosine triphosphate) in vivo and in vitro

1. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) in the cytosol fraction of liver was labelled in young rats by the injection of [(3)H]leucine and then isolated with specific antibody. Antibody-antigen precipitates from ;pulse'-labelled animals and from animals in which the content of radioactive enzyme had been decreased by a period of degradation were separated by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gels. No radioactive breakdown products were found. 2. (3)H-labelled phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) was purified from rat liver and used to measure degradation in vitro. There was first a loss of catalytic activity, then a disappearance of immunological activity and finally a loss of solubility before any evidence of proteolytic cleavage. Proteolytic-cleavage fragments, when found, were also insoluble. 3. An analysis of the subcellular location of enzyme inactivation showed that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) was stable when incubated with liver cytosol fraction and was inactivated most rapidly by the microsomal fraction. 4. We propose that denaturation of the enzyme is the rate-limiting step in degradation in vivo, and precedes proteolytic cleavage when the enzyme is incubated with liver preparations in vitro.

Characterization of rat liver subcellular membranes. Demonstration of membrane-specific autoantigens

The induction of acute hepatocellular necrosis in rats resulted in the production of complement fixing, IgM autoantibodies directed toward inner and outer mitochondrial membranes, microsomal membrane, lysosomal membrane, nuclear membrane, cytosol, but not to plasma membrane. Utilizing selective absorption procedures it was demonstrated that each subcellular membrane fraction possessed unique autoantigenic activity with little or no cross-reactivity between the various membrane fractions. It is proposed that the development of membrane-specific autoantibodies may provide an immunological marker useful in the differential characterization of various subcellular membranes.

Golgi fractions prepared from rat liver homogenates. II. Biochemical characterization

The three Golgi fractions isolated from rat liver homogenates by the procedure given in the companion paper account for 6-7% of the protein of the total microsomal fraction used as starting preparation. The lightest, most homogeneous Golgi fraction (GF(1)) lacks typical "microsomal" activities, e.g., glucose-6-phosphatase, NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase, and cytochrome P-450. The heaviest, most heterogeneous fraction (GF(3)) is contaminated by endoplasmic reticulum membranes to the extent of approximately 15% of its protein. The three fractions taken together account for nearly all the UDP-galactose: N-acetyl-glucosamine galactosyltransferase of the parent microsomal fraction, and for approximately 70% of the activity of the original homogenate. Omission of the ethanol treatment of the animals reduces the recovery by half. The transferase activity is associated with the membranes of the Golgi elements, not with their content. Galactose is transferred not only to N-acetyl-glucosamine but also to an unidentified lipid-soluble component.

A new method for the preparation of rat liver lysosomes. Separation of cell organelles of rat liver by carrier-free continuous electrophoresis

A combination of differential centrifugation and carrier-free continuous electrophoresis is introduced as a new method for the isolation of animal cell organelles. Various buffers were systematically checked in order to find the system which preserves the organelles and gives as well a good separation in the free-flow electrophoresis apparatus. Triethanolamine-acetate buffer (10 mM), pH 7.4 was used. The isolated lysosomes were pure according to marker enzymes and electron micrographs. A heterogeneity of the lysosomes in electrophoretic mobility was demonstrated with respect to the marker enzymes arylsulfatase and beta-glucuronidase. The lysosomes with higher mobility showed a maximum enrichment of 240-fold with respect to arylsulfatase. The lysosomes with lower electrophoretic mobility showed a 65-fold enrichment with respect to beta-glucuronidase. The ratio of beta-glucuronidase to arylsulfatase varied from 2:1 to 1:2 in lysosomes of different mobility. The yield amounted to approximately 1 mg of lysosomal protein per gram of liver protein. 5-8 mg of lysosomes can be obtained in one experiment. The electrophoretic separation proves to be an effective tool in obtaining pure and well preserved lysosomes.

Studies on the permeability of rat liver lysosomes to carbohydrates

1. The latency of nitrocatechol sulphatase activity was measured in rat liver lysosomes before and after preincubation in 0.25m solutions of 25 different carbohydrates. 2. Preincubation in disaccharides, hexitols, gluconate, glucuronate or lactate gave little or no rise in ;free' sulphatase activity, indicating that these compounds do not easily penetrate the lysosomal membrane, but incubation in monosaccharides or the lower glycitols caused a progressive loss of latency. 3. Rates of increase in ;free' activity were taken as an indication of rates of solute penetration into lysosomes and were correlated with the structure and molecular weight of each sugar. 4. Additional evidence for non-penetration of maltose was obtained by demonstrating that the latency of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase is independent of substrate concentration employed. 5. The results are discussed in the light of published data on the latency of lysosomal enzymes.

The localization of proteolytic activity in rat liver mitochondria and its relation to mitochondrial swelling and aging

1. On storage of rat liver mitochondria at 0 degrees , water content, total amino acid content and leakage of protein all rose steadily over a 72hr. period. The initial ratio of intramitochondrial to extramitochondrial amino acid concentration lay between 18 and 24. Initially this rose, but it then fell to 1.9 at the end of storage. The concentration gradient between internal and external amino acids was relatively constant throughout the period. These processes were accentuated at 22 degrees and 40 degrees , the concentration gradient reaching 70mumoles/ml., water content rising to 8.3mg./mg. dry wt. and protein leakage reaching 42% of total mitochondrial protein. ;Swelling agents' produced no correlated changes in amino acid production and swelling. 2. Added glutamate was not concentrated within the pellet of whole or disrupted mitochondria. Endogenous amino acids were distributed evenly between the pellet and the supernatant of disrupted mitochondria. It is concluded that amino acids are produced within mitochondria and that adsorption and uptake from the medium do not contribute significantly to amino acids in the pellet. 3. beta-Glycerophosphate, a lysosome protectant, increased amino acid production by rat liver mitochondria. Treatment with Triton X-100 and disruption by freezing and thawing showed that 56% of proteolytic activity was ;free' in whole mitochondria, whereas only 11% of acid phosphatase activity, a lysosomal enzyme, was ;free'. 4. ;Light' mitochondria contained 30% more neutral proteolytic activity but 300% more acid phosphatase activity than ;heavy' mitochondria. 5. Electron micrographs of mitochondrial preparations showed less than one particle in 500 that could be identified as a lysosome. Treatment with Triton X-100 disrupted the structure of roughly 50% of the mitochondria; the rest appeared to retain their membrane, cristae and ground substance. Freezing and thawing caused gross swelling and loss of ground substance and rupture of external membranes. 6. Of the recovered proteolytic activity, 81% at pH7.4 and 70% at pH5.8 were found in the high-speed supernatant of broken mitochondria. A further fivefold increase in specific activity was found in the first protein fraction obtained by Sephadex G-50 gel filtration. 7. Between 60 and 80% of proteolytic activity was found in the 40-60%-saturated ammonium sulphate precipitate. Almost all of the soluble-fraction proteolytic activity could be recovered in a pH5.0 supernatant. 8. The results give no support to the view that mitochondrial neutral proteolytic activity reflects lysosomal content. 9. The possible role of intramitochondrial amino acid production and the proteolysis of internal barriers in passive swelling of mitochondria is discussed.

The large-scale separation of peroxisomes, mitochondria, and lysosomes from the livers of rats injected with triton WR-1339. Improved isolation procedures, automated analysis, biochemical and morphological properties of fractions

Improved, largely automated methods are described for the purification and analysis o peroxisomes, lysosomes, and mitochondria from the livers of rats injected with Triton WR-1339. With these new methods, it has become possible to obtain, in less than 6 hr and with reliable reproducibility, mitochondria practically free of contaminants, as well as the rarer cytoplasmic particles in amounts (about 100 mg of protein) and in a state of purity (95%) that make them suitable for detailed biochemical studies. The results obtained so far on these preparations have made more conclusive and precise previous estimates of the biochemical and morphological properties of the three groups of cytoplasmic particles. In addition, peroxisomes were found to contain essentially all the L-alpha-hydroxy acid oxidase of the liver, as well as a small, but significant fraction of its NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. Another small fraction of the latter enzyme is present in the mitochondria, the remainder being associated with the cell sap. The mitochondrial localization of the metabolically active cytoplasmic DNA could be verified. The relative content of the fractions in mitochondria, whole peroxisomes, peroxisome cores, lysosomes, and endoplasmic reticulum was estimated independently by direct measurements on electron micrographs, and by linear programming (based on the assumption that the particles are biochemically homogeneous) of the results of enzyme assays. The two types of estimates agreed very well, except for one fraction in which low cytochrome oxidase activity was associated with mitochondrial damage.