Properties of acid phosphatase in human stratum corneum

Sheets of stratum corneum were prepared by a trypsinization procedure from human skin samples, homogenized with a freeze press and then fractionated into a soluble fraction and a sediment by centrifugation at 50,000 g. Acid phosphatase (AcP) activity was found in both fractions but the bulk of the activity was detected in the supernatant. Highest activities were observed after treatment with Triton X-100. The bulk of the AcP activity remained bound to the pellet, if suspension and fractionation of the homogenized stratum corneum were performed in acetate buffer in the range between pH 4.0-5.0, probably due to ionic or hydrophobic interactions. AcP activity was totally lost if homogenates or fractions were stored frozen at -20 degrees C in buffers with pH values lower than 4.0. Triton X-100 extracts from whole skin, epidermis, stratum corneum, cultured skin fibroblasts and leukocytes were compared by isoelectric focusing. Extracts from whole skin, epidermis and stratum corneum yielded almost identical patterns with one main AcP activity band at pI of 5.65, whereas a second pronounced band from whole skin behaved similarly to one band from cultured skin fibroblasts and leukocytes (pI 6.1). The prominent band from extracts of stratum corneum and epidermis was not observed in extracts of skin fibroblasts and leukocytes. Hence, we conclude that stratum corneum and epidermis contain a tissue-specific AcP.