Observations on brain phosphatases

Abstract

The pyrophosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase activities of rat-brain dispersions may be partially separated by fractionation with ammonium sulfate or ethanol. Both enzymes lose activity on dialysis, and both are activated by cysteine. Pyrophosphatase activity in crude prepns. obtained from rat brain is strongly inhibited by a number of substances (metal salts, mapharside, formaldehyde and suramin), most of which exert relatively little effect on adenosine triphosphatase activity. The distr. of phosphomonoesterase and pyrophosphatase activities in different regions of human and sheep brain was studied. Activities tend to be high in the nucleated regions, and low in conducting regions.