Subcellular distribution of alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase in rat liver.

Most alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) synthase of rat liver was found distributed in the light mitochondrial fraction which was enriched with lysosomes and peroxisomes. Further separation of the lysosomes and peroxisomes in the liver light mitochondrial fraction of the rats injected with Triton WR-1339 was carried out by centrifugation in the sucrose density gradient. After the centrifugation, the enzyme distribution was compared with that of the different marker enzymes which revealed that alkyl-DHAP synthase was primarily localized in the peroxisomes. When the rats were fed a diet supplemented with clofibrate, which is known to induce the proliferation of peroxisomes, the synthase activity of the liver increased about 1.5 to 1.7 times more than that of the control. These results supplied further evidence for the localization of synthase in peroxisomes.