Genetic variability of alkaline phosphatase expression in inbred mouse tissues.

Quantitative alkaline phosphatase (ALP; EC 3.1.3.1) expression varies among various tissues and among inbred mouse strains. There is about a 20-fold difference in ALP activity in lungs from CBA/J and C57L/J inbred strains and this difference is inherited additively with a heritability of 0.84. Studies of thermostability at 56 and 65 degrees C and sensitivity toward inhibitors (L-phenylalanine, L-homoarginine, L-phenylalanylglycylglycine, and levamisole) do not demonstrate differences in the ALP from lungs or liver of the CBA/J and C57L/J strains. The ALP activity in intestine expressed by the intestinal locus varies over 100-fold between A/J and DBA/1J strains. Further studies of the mechanisms resulting in this difference in ALP activity should help elucidate the mechanisms for aberrant expression of ALP in malignancy and for manipulation of low ALP activity in hypophosphatasia.