Comparative studies on particulate acid phosphatases in sea urchin eggs

1. Particulate acid phosphatases were partially purified and characterized in the eggs of six species of sea urchins and one species of sand dollar, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, Anthocidaris crassispina, Pseudocentrotus depressus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. francicanus, S. droebachiensis and Dendraster excentricus. 2. The enzymes of 7 species were strongly inhibited by NaF, tartrate, p-chloromercuribenzoate and HgCl2. 3. Substrate specificity of the enzymes of all species was broad.