[Determination of optimal conditions for the electron-cytochemical detection of ATPase activity in isolated nuclei]

The optimal conditions are selected for electron-cytochemical detection of the ATPase activity in nuclei of the skeletal muscles of rabbits and nuclei of Vicia faba L. meristem. It is shown that the previous fixation of nuclei in the rabbit skeletal muscle for 10 min in a mixture of the buffer solutions of 4% glutaric dialdehyde and 4% neutral formalin (1:1) causes a decrease in their ATPase activity by 78% in the medium containing Mg2+ and by 34% - in the medium containing Ca2+; in nuclei of horse bean seedlings meristem it lowers respectively by 28 and 16%. Ions of lead in a concentration of 0.4 mM evoke a decrease in the ATPase activity in the medium containing Mg2+, in nuclei of the rabbit skeletal muscles by 35% and in nuclei of horse bean meristem by 15% in the medium containing Ca2+. The vaule of the residual activity is sufficient for detection of the product of ATP enzymic hydrolysis reaction by activity is sufficient for detection of the product of ATP enzymic hydrolysis reaction by the method of electronic cytochemistry. An increase in the Pb2+ concentration higher than 2.8 mM evokes nonenzymic hydrolysis of ATP. The ATPase activity under the electron-cytochemical study is found within the range of pH 6.3-8.5. The product of reaction forms most intensively at pH 7.2-7.5 in the medium with both Mg2+ and Ca2+.