Lysosomal glycosidases in different populations of human thymocytes

Lysosomal glycosidase activities were studied in human thymocyte fractions obtained by two methods: (A) fractionation in Percoll density gradient and (B) separation from the cells forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (E-RFC). (A) affords fraction L, enriched with immature and endogenously activated thymocytes, and fraction H containing mature thymocytes. By use of (B), fraction E-RFC--enriched with non-activated immature thymocytes--was obtained. Comparative study of E-RFC and H revealed diverse alterations in activities of glycosidases during thymocytes maturation, specifically decreases in alpha-L-fucosidase and alpha-D-mannosidase and an increase in beta-D-galactosidase. Comparing E-RFC and L demonstrates increases in activities of studied glycosidases following endogenous activation of thymocytes.