Glutathione S-transferase isozymes of mouse intestine: differential induction by 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole.

Electrofocusing of mouse small intestine mucosal cytosol yielded two prominent peaks of glutathione S-transferase activity, at pH 8.7 and pH 9.0. These intestinal transferases were indistinguishable from corresponding liver transferases in immunological reactivities and in several other properties. Dietary t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole increased intestine cytosol protein immunologically identical to the liver transferase with pI of 8.7 and also elevated markedly and preferentially the intestinal transferase activity peak at pH 8.7. Thus, the predominant transferases of mouse intestine appear identical to two of the liver isozymes, and t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole enhances intestinal transferase activity mainly by increasing the quantity of the isozyme(s) of pI 8.7.