Facts and artifacts in acid phosphatase and esterase localization in disc electrophoresis of human saliva

Linkage conservation of homologous esterase loci in fish (Cyprinodontoidei: Poeciliidae)

Homologies among esterase isozymes in fish in the poeciliid genera Poeciliopsis and Xiphophorus are proposed. Esterase homologies are based on their tissue distributions and inhibition and substrate properties. The five esterases include two carboxylesterases, one eserine sulfate-sensitive esterase, and two esterases resistant to inhibition, one of which reacts only with acetate esters. Linkage studies in Poeciliopsis monacha indicate that the loci encoding the two carboxylesterases are linked to each other and to the locus for eye-specific lactate dehydrogenase. Comparisons of the linking reported here with earlier studies in Xiphophorus suggest that there is a large region of linkage homology in the genetic maps of Poeciliopsis and Xiphophorus.

Esterase isozyme patterns in developing embryos of Brachydanio rerio (zebra danio), Brachydanio abolineatus (pearl danio), and their hybrids

The ontogeny of esterase isozymes in Brachydanio rerio (zebra danio), Brachydanio albolineatus (pearl danio), and hybrids formed by their reciprocal crosses was investigated using polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis. Seven esterase isozymes were identified in each species from the unfertilized egg stage to nine days posthatch. Electrophoretic analysis of qualitative changes in enzyme pattern indicated that some esterases were present at all stages of development while other esterases abruptly appeared at a specific stage of morphological differentiation. The esterases of both species were classified on the basis differential substrate and inhibitor specificities. In developing hybrids formed by B. rerio eggs inseminated with B. albolineatus sperm, the maternal isozyme pattern persisted until Stage 17 (gastrulation). Embryonic extracts from Stage 17 onward showed a slow-moving, DFP-sensitive carboxylesterase of paternal origin. In developing hybrids formed by B. albolineatus eggs inseminated with B. rerio sperm, a paternal contribution to the esterase pattern was probably present by the end of gastrulation; esterase activity of distinctively paternal origin was present by Stage 22 (retinal pigmentation) The maternal contribution to the total esterase profile appeared to remain high through hatching. Additional evidence for gene activity at gastrulation was obtained in experiments utilizing actinomycin-D and cycloheximide. Results of exposing embryos of B. rerio to 15 mug/ml of actinomycin-D indicated that transcription of the template RNA coding for cholinesterase occurred during gastrulation or some 20-30 hours prior to the appearance of the isozyme at Stage 22. This template RNA was translated sometime during that 10-hour interval immediately preceding Stage 22.

[Clinical aspects of non-tumorous diseases of the salivary glands]

The vast field encompassed by the non-tumorous diseases of the salivary glands poses difficult problems for their diagnosis and therapy. In order to facilitate comprehension of the pathological processes and the therapeutical possibilities for their treatment, physiological and biochemical aspects of salivary gland function are presented in the introduction. There are also mentioned in detail most of the diagnostic methods clinically applied today and stress is laid on their respective diagnostic values. In contrast to the opinion of many authors, exploratory excision and puncture are shown to be very important diagnostic tools in salivary gland pathology. The specific application of these methods is often the only means for a reliable diagnosis. The classification of the diseases follows Seifert's (1971) proposal. The chronic diseases of the salivary glands are specifically mentioned with the chronic recurrent and the chronic myoepithelial sialoadenitis taking first place. The sialoses are presented in a larger chapter. An attempt was made to correlate clinical and experimental results, to establish working hypotheses concerning the development of sialoses, to suggest therapeutical possibilities and, last not least, to give an idea of the many clinical and patho-anatomical difficulties to be overcome for a satisfactory understanding of such pathological processes. Finally, various forms of salivary gland fistulas and their treatment are mentioned. The long list of references merely gives an approximation of the abundance of publications dealing with the problems of this field.