Enzymatic heterogeneity of granules in human leucocytes

Homogenates of highly purified polymorphonuclear leucocytes and of a mixture of mononuclear leucocytes and platelets from human blood were separated by differential and isopyknic centrifugation. A heterogeneity in granules containing digesting enzymes was found in both cell preparations. Enzymes typical of lysosomes were found in the two cell preparations in a similar density gradient. Granules of low density were indicated in polymorphonuclear leucocytes by alkaline phosphatase. In both cell preparations a third granule, of lower density, seemed to exist enriched in amino acid naphthylamidase, acid hydrolases and in polymorphonuclear leucocytes also alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme. A remarkable difference between the two cell preparations was the occurrence of amino acid napthylamidase in denser granules of polymorphonuclear only, although the nature of these granules could not be determined.