QUANTITATIVE AND HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE DESORPTION AND READSORPTION OF ALDOLASE IN CROSS-STRIATED MUSCLE

Abstract

Complete extraction of aldolase from minced rabbit psoas muscle was achieved by successive extraction steps in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Aldolase was then readsorbed quantitatively to the depleted myofibrils. Extraction, readsorption and a final redsorption of the enzyme were followed quantitatively by enzyme activity determinations and qualitatively by histochemical staining of aldolase. The intracellular location of the readsorbed enzyme was found to be identical with that of aldolase in native muscle. In both cases, aldolase was localized within the isotropic bands. These results as well as the previously demonstrated binding of the enzyme to F-actin suggest that aldolase is located within the interfilamentary sarcoplasm of the isotropic bands and is probably also bound in vivo to the actin filaments.