Heterogeneity of tissue dehydrogenases

Abstract

Rat tissue homogenates have been subjected to zone electrophoresis in starch gel. Lactate, malate, isocitrate, glucose 6-phosphate and [alpha]-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity was directly visualized by incubating the gel strips in solutions containing a specific substrate, a tetrazolium salt, methylene blue and the appropriate pyridine nucleotide. Electrophoretic heterogeneity of some of the dehydrogenases was observed in material from different organs. A similar multiplicity of components in some specific dehydrogenases was also demonstrated in cytologically homogeneous material including cells grown by tissue culture techniques. Significance of this multiplicity of enzymes is discussed.