The Histochemical Journal 1984-05-01

A direct-colouring, metal precipitation method for the demonstration of arylsulphatases A and B.

S Partanen

Index: Histochem. J. 16(5) , 501-6, (1984)

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Abstract

A new, direct-colouring, metal precipitation method for the light microscopical demonstration of arylsulphatases A and B is described. It is based on the reducing capacity of nitrocatechol liberated by arylsulphatases from p-nitrocatechol sulphate. The reaction is carried out in Karnovsky-Roots' copper ferricyanide incubation mixture at pH 5.0 or 5.5; the nitrocatechol liberated reduces ferricyanide to ferrocyanide, which in turn forms a brown precipitate with copper that indicates enzyme activity. Enzyme activity was localized in cytoplasmic particles compatible with a lysosomal localization of the enzyme. The histochemical reaction was inhibited by phosphate, which has been shown to inhibit arylsulphatases A and B in biochemical determinations. The method described is technically simple, and sections can be mounted in synthetic resin after dehydration.