COMBINED ELECTRONMICROSCOPICAL LOCALIZATION OF ARYL SULFATASE AND ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITIES WITHIN LYSOSOMES OF KIDNEY TUBULE CELLS

A cytochemical method is reported permitting the eleotronmicroscopical localization of both aryl sulfatase and acid phosphatase within the same specimen by a double incubation. Control essays demonstrate, that neither the first reaction product is altered by the second medium, nor the activity of the second enzyme by the first medium. Epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubule of rat kidney were examined. The reaction products after simple aryl sulfatase and acid phosphatase staining differ in their morphology as well as in their diffraction pattern. By the aid of the latter they are shown to be barium sulfate and lead phosphate, as expected. After double incubation on the one hand the two reaction products are found within a single lysosom, but probably less frequently than it would correspond to the original enzyme activities; for it must be expected that the second reaction is impossible in places already occupied by the first reaction product. On the other hand one observes lysosomes containing only barium sulfate or lead phosphate. Methodical influences may not explain such differences, and it is believed, therefore, that enzymical heterogenous lysosomes exist within the same cell. The proposed method seems to be suitable to visualize a more complete spectrum of lysosomes than the methods hitherto existing. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.