Genetic regulation of murine hepatic arylsulfatase B activity during development.

The ratio of hepatic arylsulfatase B activity of C57BL/6J, SWR/J, and A/J mice is approximately 5:2.5:1. The activity variation between SWR/J and A/J mice can be attributed to the effects of Asr-1, a cis-acting regulatory element near or within As-1 (arylsulfatase B structural locus). However, C57BL/6J and SWR/J mice share similar Asr-1 alleles and have comparable arylsulfatase B activities in nonhepatic tissues. The high arylsulfatase B activity occurring in C57BL/6J compared to SWR/J liver is largely determined by a site near Asr-1 and As-1. The C57BL/6J allele promotes a more prominent spike of liver arylsulfatase B activity at 12 days postnatal age and maintains a higher activity in the adult compared to SWR/J mice. This liver-specific genetic element exerts a trans effect and acts by affecting the accumulation of arylsulfatase B molecules in liver tissue.