Immunohistochemical localization of intestinal glycosidases

The presence of antigenic determinants of the following enzymes was detected in enterocytes by the indirect immunofluorescence method: 1. lactase in human biopsy material, 2. sucrase-isomaltase during ontogenesis in the rat. 1. Lactase: The antigenic relationship between rat and human lactase, demonstrated with the isolated enzymes, was utilized for the histochemical localization of human lactase. The indirect immunofluorescence method, using guinea pig antiserum to rat lactase, demonstrated the presence of human lactase in the enterocyte brush border. The usefulness of this method for clinical practice resides in the possibility of detecting enzymatically inactive protein immunologically related to lactase in cases of lactase deficiency, thereby facilitating more detailed classification of these diseases. 2. Sucrase-isomaltase: Guinea pig antiserum to rat sucrase-isomaltase (SI) was prepared. It was used to demonstrate antigenic determinants of the enzyme in the enterocyte brush border of the rat during ontogenesis. Structural SI protein is already present in 3-day-old rats, whereas enzyme activity can first be demonstrated histochemically from the 11th day of life and biochemically, in vitro, not until about the 18th day. We consider that this technique can be used for studying the biogenesis of membrane-bound enzymes.