Studies on hexosaminidase forms in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The hexosaminidase forms present in Chinese hamster ovary cells grown in culture were partially purified and their kinetic and physical properties were characterized. The cells were found to contain three hexosaminidase forms, which could be resolved by ion-exchange chromatography. These three forms, designated hexosaminidases I, II and III, had properties similar to those of human hexosaminidases A, B and C, respectively. Hexosaminidase III, like human hexosaminidase C, appears to be regulated by a different mechanism than the other two activities. The data presented in this report show that Chinese hamster ovary cells are an excellent source of enzyme activity for investigating the complex properties of the various mammalian hexosaminidase forms.