1. Recently we reported decreased activities of two mitochondrial marker enzymes (citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase) in skeletal muscle from a rat model of critical illness (zymosan injection). In the present study we investigated (i) whether these decreases in enzyme activity reflect a reduction in mitochondrial content and (ii) whether this potential reduction in mitochondrial content was the result of decreased mitochondrial protein synthesis rates. 2. Mitochondrial protein content was calculated from the activities of cytochrome c oxidase in whole-muscle homogenates and purified mitochondria. Synthesis rates of mitochondrial protein in vivo were studied by measuring the incorporation of [ 3 H]phenylalanine into mitochondrial protein using the flooding dose technique. 3. Mitochondrial protein content was reduced to 54% of that measured in the pair-fed rats and to 71% of that measured in control rats fed ad libitum 2 days after the zymosan treatment The decreased mitochondrial protein content observed 2 days after zymosan challenge was preceded by a reduced rate of synthesis of mitochondrial protein 16 h after treatment. Both changes were of greater magnitude than the general muscle wasting and the decreased rate of synthesis of mixed protein observed in the zymosan-treated rats. 4. We conclude that the acute phase of critical illness in zymosan-treated rats is characterized by a substantial reduction in muscle mitochondria that is at least in part caused by a decreased rate of synthesis of mitochondrial protein. This derangement in mitochondrial protein metabolism may be related to the impaired muscle function observed during and after critical illness.

1. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to study free-radical signals in freeze-clamped frozen liver tissue from rats after a 1 year period of dietary supplementation with alcohol, iron, or alcohol and iron. In alcohol-fed, iron-fed and alcohol- and iron-fed animals, mild histological damage was seen on light microscopy and evidence of mitochondrial and nuclear injury was identified by electron microscopy. 2. Subcellular fractionation studies showed an increase in the activity of the peroxisomal marker catalase ( P <0.01) in alcohol-fed rats compared with controls, but a fall of 82% ( P <0.001) in alcohol- and iron-fed animals. The activity of the mitochondrial marker succinate dehydrogenase rose by 7% (not significant) in alcohol-fed animals and by 17% (not significant) in iron-fed animals, but fell by 94% ( P <0.001) in alcohol- and iron-fed animals, suggesting serious impairment of mitochondrial function. 3. Iron overload was substantial in the iron-fed animals and there was an excellent correlation between liver iron concentration and iron-derived signals by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy ( P <0.001). A clear free-radical signal of g = 2.003–2.005 was detected in all liver samples, but there was no significant difference in the magnitude of this signal in any study group. 4. The absence of any increase in the stable free-radical signal, even in the presence of considerable hepatic damage, does not support the hypothesis that free radicals mediate alcoholic liver disease in this animal model, although the results cannot be taken as proof against this hypothesis.

1. The activity of alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT; EC 2.6.1.44) has been measured in the unfractionated livers of 20 patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), three patients with other forms of primary hyperoxaluria and one PH1 heterozygote. The subcellular distribution of AGT activity was examined in four of the PH1 livers and in the liver of the PH1 heterozygote. 2. The mean AGT activity in the unfractionated PH1 livers was 12.6% of the mean control value. The activities of other aminotransferases and the peroxisomal marker enzymes were normal. When corrected for cross-over from glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferase (GGT; EC 2.6.1.4), the mean AGT activity in the PH1 livers was reduced to 3.3% of the control values. 3. The livers from a patient with primary hyperoxaluria type 2 ( d -glycerate dehydrogenase deficiency) and one with an undefined form of primary hyperoxaluria (possibly oxalate hyperabsorption) had normal AGT levels. The livers of a very mild PH1-type variant and a PH1 heterozygote had intermediate levels of AGT activity. 4. Subcellular fractionation of four PH1 livers by sucrose gradient isopycnic centrifugation demonstrated a complete absence of peroxisomal AGT activity. The subcellular distribution of the residual AGT activity was very similar to that of GGT activity (i.e. mainly cytosolic with a small amount mitochondrial). There were no alterations in the subcellular distributions of any of the peroxisomal marker enzymes. The subcellular distribution of AGT activity in the PH1 heterozygote liver was similar to that of the control (i.e. mainly peroxisomal). 5. The residual AGT activity in two of the PH1 livers, which could be accounted for largely by cross-over from GGT, was only slightly dependent on substrate (glyoxylate and alanine) concentration and virtually independent of cofactor (pyridoxal phosphate) concentration. 6. These data confirm our previous findings (C. J. Danpure & P. R. Jennings, FEBS Letters , 1986, 201, 20–24), but on a much larger number of patients, that AGT deficiency is pathognomic for PH1, and is not found in other forms of hyperoxaluria.

1. An homogenate of liver biopsy taken from a patient with Pompe's disease (type II glycogen-storage disease) was analysed by enzyme microassay and subcellular fractionation by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. 2. A strikingly low activity of lysosomal acid α-d-glucosidase was noted but there was also increased activity of neutral α-d-glucosidase (found in endoplasmic reticulum). 3. Activities of the acid hydrolases, acid phosphatase and β- N -acetyl-d-glucosaminidase, were elevated compared with those of controls. Measurement of latent β- N -acetyl-d-glucosaminidase activity and results of subcellular fractionation experiments, indicated a marked fragility of certain populations of lysosomes. Lysosomes containing predominantly acid phosphatase and β-d-glucuronidase activities appeared to have normal integrity. 4. Assessment of organelle pathology by enzyme microassay indicated low mitochondrial and peroxisomal enzyme activities. In addition there was evidence of mitochondrial damage as reflected by increased sucrose permeability and by ultrastructural studies.

1. Jejunal biopsy specimens were obtained from seven patients with post-infective tropical malabsorption, four of whom were infected with Giardia lamblia. 2. Enzymic analysis of the biopsy homogenates revealed a selective reduction of certain enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase) localized at least in part to the brush border. Other enzymes (leucyl-2-naphthylamidase, α-glucosidase) were unaffected. 3. Density gradient centrifugation confirmed the selective decrease in the brush-border activity but the equilibrium density of the organelle was normal. Homogenization studies revealed that the brush border was unusually fragile. 4. Apart from reduced activities of the basal—lateral marker enzyme 5′-nucleotidase and enhanced lysosomal fragility, other organelles showed normal properties. There were no significant differences in any of these parameters in the patients with or without giardiasis. 5. The patients were restudied after their jejunal morphology and clinical features had returned to normal. All these parameters, apart from a persistently reduced activity of 5′-nucleotidase, returned to normal. 6. It is suggested that the principal lesion in patients with post-infective tropical malabsorption affects the cell membrane, specifically affecting the absorptive—digestive capacity of the enterocyte. These findings suggest that there is direct brush-border damage rather than mucosal invasion by bacteria, viruses or Giardia lamblia.

1. 59 Fe-labelled ferric chloride was introduced into tied loops of guinea-pig jejunum. 2. After 5–30 min the loop was removed, the enterocytes were isolated, homogenized and subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation. 3. Uptake of 59 Fe was extremely rapid and after 5 min 45% of the radioactivity sedimented in the mitochondrial fraction. 4. Density gradient centrifugation indicated that approximately 80% of this radioactivity was associated with the mitochondria themselves; the remainder was in brush-border fragments. 5. Selective disruption of the mitochondria demonstrates that the iron is localized to the matrix and the inner membrane, indicating transport of the absorbed iron into the organelle. 6. It is suggested that mitochondria are actively implicated at an early stage in the intestinal transport of iron.

1. Parenchymal, Kupffer and biliary tract cells were isolated from normal rat liver by perfusion with collagenase solution. 2. The specific activities (munits of enzyme activity/mg of protein) of marker enzymes for the principal subcellular organelles were determined in the isolated cell homogenates and compared with whole liver homogenates. 3. The cells were disrupted and the extracts subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. Lysosomal integrity was determined by assaying latent β- N -acetylglucosaminidase in the extracts. 4. Similar subcellular distributions were found for lysosomal, endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane marker enzymes in the whole liver and in parenchymal and biliary tract cells. In Kupffer cells, the proportion of these enzymes in the cytosol was significantly increased compared with the other fractions. In addition the equilibrium densities of the various organelles in these cells were lower than those from parenchymal cells.

1. Enterocytes, isolated from the proximal jejunum and distal ileum of normal and prednisolone-treated rats, were homogenized and fractionated by isopycnic centrifugation on sucrose density gradients. The distributions of marker enzymes for the principal subcellular organelles, RNA and protein were determined and related to the activities per enterocyte. 2. In enterocytes from the jejunum and ileum of prednisolone-treated animals the activities of particulate brush-border enzymes and of both soluble and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase were increased compared with those of the control system. The equilibrium density of the brush borders was enhanced in the prednisolone-treated jejunum. The modal densities of the other organelles were unaltered by prednisolone administration. 3. There was a large increase in the total RNA content of enterocytes from the jejunum and ileum of prednisolone-treated animals. This was predominantly associated with a distinct particulate component, indicative of a proliferation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and consistent with an enhanced rate of protein synthesis. 4. Studies of latent brush-border enzyme activities, the mechanical fragility of isolated brush borders and electron microscopy suggest that steroid administration results in no marked alterations in the gross conformation of the brush- border membrane or in the orientation of the enzymes within the membrane.

1. Liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients with alcoholic liver disease of varying severity were assayed for lysosomal and microsomal enzyme activities, the results being compared with values previously obtained in control subjects. 2. Analytical subcellular fractionation by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation was performed on extracts of the biopsies and the properties of the lysosomes, plasma membrane, biliary canaliculi and endoplasmic reticulum membranes were determined. Increased activities of plasma membrane marker enzymes, particularly γ-glutamyl transpeptidase believed to be localized to the biliary canalicular membrane, were demonstrated. These findings were most marked in alcoholic cirrhosis. The centrifugation studies revealed no abnormalities in the properties of these membranes. 3. Although the total activities of the endoplasmic reticulum marker enzyme neutral α-glucosidase were unaltered in alcoholic liver disease, centrifugation studies showed a decrease in the density distribution of the membrane-bound enzyme in cirrhosis indicating an increase in the proportion of smooth endoplasmic reticulum membranes. 4. Apart from a small decrease in activity of certain acid hydrolases in fatty liver and in cirrhosis the activities of the lysosomal enzymes were unaffected by alcoholic liver disease. 5. Measurements of lysosomal integrity and density-gradient-centrifugation studies revealed no significant abnormalities in the various patient groups apart from increased stability and reduced equilibrium density of certain lysosomes in fatty liver. It is concluded that lysosomal disruption is not implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease.

1. Jejunal biopsies from five patients with non-responsive coeliac disease have been subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation and enzymic microassay in order to compare the organelle pathology of this group with untreated but gluten-sensitive patients. 2. Compared with the gluten-sensitive group these non-responsive patients showed marked reduction of the endoplasmic reticulum enzymes, normal activities of lysosomal enzymes and slightly less severely reduced brush border activities. 3. It is suggested that the present biochemical studies in combination with previous clinical reports and measurements of DNA and protein synthesis by cultured mucosal biopsies delineate non-responsive coeliac disease as a distinct entity. 4. The patients were treated with oral prednisolone (20 mg daily) for between 5 and 9 weeks and the properties of the jejunal biopsies restudied. 5. Although morphologically there was only a partial restoration of the villus architecture the enzymic alterations and organelle abnormalities returned essentially to normal values.

1. Portions of jejunal biopsy specimens from patients with coeliac disease were homogenized in isotonic sucrose solution and subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. 2. The activities and distribution of marker enzymes for the principal subcellular organelles were determined by highly sensitive enzymic micro-assays employing fluorigenic and radiolabelled substrates. 3. In untreated coeliac disease the brush border showed decreased activities of five marker enzymes, which were reduced to up to one-eighth of control values. On sucrose density gradients the distinct brush-border peak at density 1.21 was replaced by a broad peak at density 1.16. 4. Two out of three lysosomal enzymes showed increased activities and there was evidence of enhanced fragility of both lysosomes and peroxisomes. 5. There were reduced activities of both mitochondrial and cytosol malate dehydrogenase, with increased activities of cytosol lactate dehydrogenase. 6. The endoplasmic reticulum and basal-lateral membranes were relatively unaffected except that the equilibrium densities were slightly increased and decreased respectively. 7. The patients were treated by gluten withdrawal and subsequent biopsies examined as above. Biopsies from patients treated for 2–4 weeks and who had not yet achieved a morphological improvement showed a partial return to normal of the pathological organelles. 8. Treated patients with partial villus atrophy showed progressively improved enzyme activities and a partial reappearance of the brush-border peak on the sucrose density gradients. 9. Patients whose intestinal mucosa had returned to morphological normality after prolonged gluten withdrawal showed a persistent defect in the brush-border enzyme activities. This was particularly striking for β-glucosidase, which was persistently deficient from the brush-border although approximately one-third of the total activity of this enzyme is normally found in this organelle. 10. The properties and enzyme activities of lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and cytosol were essentially normal in the biopsies from fully treated patients.

1. Enterocytes, isolated from the proximal jejunum and distal ileum of the rat, were homogenized and their organelles separated by isopycnic centrifugation on continuous sucrose density gradients. The distributions of marker enzymes for the principal organelles, RNA and protein were determined in the sucrose gradients and related to the activities per enterocyte. 2. In the jejunum the modal equilibrium densities of the various organelles were: brush borders (1.20), lysosomes (1.20), peroxisomes (1.19), mitochondria (1.17) and basal-lateral membranes (1.13). These values were not significantly different in the ileum. The activities of brush-border enzymes, soluble and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, soluble and membrane-associated lactate dehydrogenase and particulate protein content, however, were greater in the jejunal than the ileal enterocytes. 3. Detergent exposed latent alkaline phosphatase activity in jejunal enterocytes and indicated that this enzyme is present not only in the brush border but also in the basal-lateral membrane and soluble fractions of the cell. 4. Isolated jejunal brush-border preparations showed latent activities of both alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase whereas the activities of α-glucosidase and leucyl-β-naphthylamidase were not affected by detergent. Mechanical disruption of these preparations suggested the presence of two forms of alkaline phosphatase in the brush border and provides a technique to assess membrane fragility.

1. Specimens of human duodenal mucosa were obtained at duodenotomy. Superficial mucosal scrapings were homogenized in isotonic sucrose solution and fractionated by differential centrifugation. The distribution of organelles among the subcellular fractions was monitored by assay of suitable marker enzymes. 2. Enterokinase was recovered predominantly in the nuclear + brush-border fraction and 80% of the total activity was found to be particulate; approximately 20% of the enzyme was present in the soluble fraction, compared with 1% of the brush-border markers sucrase and alkaline phosphatase. 3. The brush-border-containing fraction was subfractionated by treatment with hypertonic Tris followed by differential and density gradient centrifugation. Enterokinase was distributed among the subfractions in parallel with brush-border markers and was concentrated in a subfraction which was highly enriched in microvillous membranes. 4. It was concluded that enterokinase is localized primarily to the microvillous membrane of the epithelial cell brush border in man, but that in addition a proportion of the enzyme may be present in a soluble or easily released form in the duodenal mucosa.

1. Homogenates of guinea-pig left ventricle were fractionated by differential pelleting and by centrifugation on continuous sucrose density gradients. 2. The principal subcellular organelles of myocardium, characterized by their marker enzyme content, were resolved by density gradient centrifugation in a small-volume zonal rotor. The equilibrium densities ( p ) of the principal organelles are (with marker enzymes in parentheses): sarcolemma, 1·12 (5′-nucleotidase); lysosomes, 1·16 ( N -acetyl-β-glucosaminidase); mitochondria, 1·17 (cytochrome oxidase); peroxisomes, 1·18 (catalase); cytosol (lactate dehydrogenase). 3. The subcellular distribution of various adenosine triphosphatase activities and previously unassigned enzymes was determined. Leucyl-β-naphthylamidase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase showed both cytosol and sarcolemma components. Ca 2+ -dependent adenosine triphosphatase showed dual localization to the mitochondria and to the sarcolemma.

1. Granulocytes were isolated from 40–400 ml of human blood, disrupted and subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation by centrifugation on sucrose density gradients. 2. The principal subcellular organelles, characterized by their respective marker enzymes, were resolved on the density gradients. The subcellular localization of hitherto unassigned enzymes was determined by comparison with the marker enzymes. 3. NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium at high nucleotide concentration (2·5 mmol/l) and NAD(P)H/cytochrome c reduction has a complex distribution with activity in the plasma membrane, mitochondria and cytosol fractions. 4. At a lower, physiological concentration of pyridine nucleotides (25 μmol/l), NADH-dependent nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was confined to the plasma membrane whereas NADPH dependent-reduction of the dye was undetectable. NAD(P)H/nitroblue tetrazolium reductase activity was partially inhibited by superoxide dismutase. 5. NADPH and NADH oxidase activities, measured by the production of oxidized nucleotide, were localized with the azurophil granules. 6. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase were localized predominantly to the cytosol. 7. Neutral α-glucosidase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase showed a bimodal distribution with localizations to both endoplasmic reticulum and specific granule components. 8. It is suggested that the plasma membrane, and thus the wall of phagocyte vacuoles, contains a free radical generating NADH-dependent enzyme which plays a primary bactericidal role. The cytosol contains mechanisms which detoxify hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and free radicals and protect the granulocyte from these compounds.

1. Clinical, morphological and biochemical data, including data obtained from the application of subcellular fractionation techniques to liver biopsy specimens, are presented for two patients with the Dubin-Johnson-Sprinz (DJS) syndrome. 2. Subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrate that the lysosomes, which have strikingly reduced equilibrium densities, accumulate melanin. Morphological studies confirm the presence of pigments within lysosomes. 3. Although there are increased activities of lysosomal acid hydrolases in the liver tissue from patients with the DJS syndrome, the integrity of these organelles is essentially normal and therefore the accumulation of pigment would not be expected to initiate liver damage. The DJS syndrome is thus a benign type of secondary lysosomal storage disease.

1. Portions of closed jejunal biopsies were gently homogenized in isotonic sucrose or sorbitol and centrifuged at 800 g for 10 min to prepare a cell extract. 2. The extract was fractionated in a single-step procedure by isopycnic centrifugation on a continuous sucrose or sorbitol density gradient with the Beaufay automatic zonal rotor. 3. The subcellular organelles were located in the density gradient by assay of marker enzymes and previously unassigned enzymes were localized to particular organelles. 4. The following organelles were characterized by their modal equilibrium densities in sucrose density gradients: brush borders (1·21), peroxisomes (1·18), mitochondria (1·16), endoplasmic reticulum (1·16), basal—lateral membranes (1·12). At least three distinct populations of lysosomes with different modal densities and enzyme content were demonstrated. 5. This analytical fraction technique can be used to study the subcellular pathology of human jejunum.

1. Liposomes containing 111 In-labelled bleomycin were injected intravenously into two patients. One patient had a hepatoma and the other had secondary adenocarcinomatous deposits in the liver. 2. The tissue distribution of 111 In was determined by whole-body scanning and by measurement of the radioactivity in organs at autopsy. 3. Scans in vivo and post-mortem measurement of radioactivity indicated that liposomes accumulate predominantly in the liver, but that there is no selective uptake of liposomes by the malignant tissue. 4. The subcellular distribution of radioactivity in the liver was measured 90 min after injection by fractionation of percutaneous liver biopsies on sucrose density gradients. 5. Radioactivity within the liver was concentrated in lysosomes. 6. Electron microscopy of tissue obtained before the administration of liposomes revealed particles morphologically indistinguishable from liposomes in hepatoma cells and hepatocytes.

1. Enterocytes were isolated from rat jejunum and characterized morphologically. 2. Attempts to separate the enterocyte subcellular organelles, characterized by their marker enzymes, with isopycnic centrifugation were unsuccessful but good separation of peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria was achieved by sedimentation through a shallow sucrose density gradient with a superimposed inverse gradient of low-molecular-weight dextran. 3. The properties and enzyme activities of the principal subcellular organelles in rat liver cells and enterocytes were compared.

1. A granulocyte-rich fraction was isolated from blood of a patient with chronic granulocytic leukaemia and from blood of a normal subject and the cells were disrupted in isotonic sucrose. The nuclei were removed by low-speed centrifugation and the post-nuclear supernatant was fractionated by centrifugation on sucrose density gradients. 2. The subcellular organelles in the gradients were detected with marker enzymes by the use of highly sensitive assay techniques. Similar results were obtained with granulocytes from both subjects. 3. Unsaturated vitamin B 12 -binding proteins were almost exclusively localized to the specific granules. Chromatographic analysis of these proteins showed them to have approximately equal proportions of transcobalamins I and III. Vitamin B 12 assayed microbiologically could not be detected in the specific granule fractions.