Immunocytochemical localization of beta-glucuronidase in the male rat preputial gland.

Present knowledge of the in situ intracellular localization of acid hydrolases is mainly based on enzyme-cytochemical observations. In the preputial gland cells beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase were thus demonstrated in lysosome-like secretory granules and the GERL system. We applied immunocytochemistry to localize beta-glucuronidase at the earliest sites of biosynthesis. Lysosomal beta-glucuronidase was purified from preputial gland by column chromatography and SDS gel electrophoresis. Antibodies were raised in rabbit and affinity-purified preparations were used for immunocytochemistry on thin frozen sections of perfusion fixed preputial glands. Indirect procedures were applied with a second antibody labelled with rhodamine for fluorescence, and 5 or 8 nm protein A-gold probes for electron microscopy. beta-Glucuronidase occurred in all cells, except for the precursor cells, and was localized throughout the endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear space, in all Golgi cisternae and storage granules, and in autophagic vacuoles. Thus in the preputial gland cell, beta-glucuronidase is present in both the lysosomal and the secretory system.