Steroid sulphatase, arylsulphatase and β-glucuronidase in marine invertebrates

Abstract

The widespread occurrence of sulphatases in the Mollusca was first demonstrated by Soda & Hattori (1933 a, b) who showed that these enzymes are mainly concentrated in the digestive glands. That extracts from marine molluscs also possess β-glucuronidase activity was first noted by Dodgson, Lewis & Spencer (1952) who studied the optimum conditions for the activity of this enzyme and arylsulphatase in Patella vulgata (L.) and Littorina littorea (L.) and applied their findings in an investigation of the distribution of both enzymes among various other marine molluscs (Dodgson, Lewis & Spencer, 1953).