Human leukocyte acid hydrolases: characterization of eleven lysosomal enzymes and study of reaction conditions for their automated analysis.

The optimal reaction conditions and kinetic properties of eleven leukocyte acid hydrolases determined with the use of fluorigenic derivatives of 4-methyl-umbelliferone are described. The enzymes studied were acid phosphatase, aryl sulfatase, alpha- and beta-glucosidase, alpha- and beta-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, N-acetyl-beta-galactosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and alpha-fucosidase. More than 90% of the activity of each enzyme was released into a 27,000 X g supernatant by a double sonication procedure employing 0.9% sodium chloride and 0.1% Triton X-100. The Km values obtained were similar to those previously reported for chromogenic subtrates. A single Km value could not be derived for beta-galactosidase because its double reciprocal plot was not linear. All enzymes could be measured with less than 10 mug of protein within 15 min. Activators and inhibitors studied included the chloride salts of Na+, K+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Hg2+, and Fe2+ as well as p-chloromercuriphenysulfonate, glutathione, BAL, EDTA, EGTA, Triton X-100 and sodium taurocholate. The reaction conditions described in this report can be used for the diagnosis of various lysosomal storage diseases and should facilitate the development of automated procedures for the analysis of these eleven enzyme activities with small quantities of blood.