Variation in ten lysosomal hydrolase enzyme activities in inbred mouse strains.

Activities of 10 lysosomal hydrolase enzymes (beta-hexosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, beta-mannosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, alpha-glucosidase, alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, and acid phosphatase) were determined in eight organs (brain, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, skeletal muscle, lung, and testis) in males and females of six inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6J, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2J, BALB/cJ, P/J, and 129/J). Examples of enzyme-specific variation, organ-specific variation, and enzyme- and organ-specific variation were found. New enzyme-specific variants with the features of systemic regulators for alpha-L-fucosidase and beta-mannosidase were found. Known variants were detected. Organ-specific variants had some of the properties expected for a new class of genes affecting multiple enzymes: organ-specific regulators.