A histochemical study of adenosine triphosphatase and other nucleotide phosphatases in young root tips.

The distribution of ATP-ase and other nucleotide phosphatases has been studied in young root tips of maize, barley and broad bean using frozen and paraffin sections stained by standard lead sulphide precipitation procedures. High ATP-ase activity was found at the root and cell surface which is in agreement with previous biochemical studies using excised roots and cell wall preparations. Staining was also found in the nuclei and at particulate sites in the cytoplasm. Differences were observed between the present work and the staining pattern obtained for β-glycerophosphatase, and between ATP-ase staining in the three roots studied. These results are discussed in relation to the possible physiological activity of the enzymes and to the differences found between earlier histochemical studies of ATP-ase activity.