INTRACELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF DESOXYRIBONUCLEO-DEPOLYMERASE IN NORMAL RAT LIVER, LIVER TUMOR, AND LIVER OF ANIMALS FED p-DIMETHYLAMINOAZOBENZENE

Abstract

The intracellular distribution of desoxyribonucleodepolymerase (DNase) has been investigated in the liver of animals fed p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB), in liver freed from tumor, and in DAB induced tumor. The method is based on the determination of acid soluble material containing phosphorus, liberated by the action of the enzyme upon highly polymerized DNA. Results indicated that the nuclear DNase particularly accounts for a very low percentage of the whole cell activity in normal rat liver, whereas in nuclei of liver of DAB fed rats and of tumor the activity is increased to a high level. These facts suggest a possible correlation between the activity of DNase in the nuclear fraction and the mitotic rate of the tissue.