THE INTRACELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF LIVER AND KIDNEY SARINASE

The cells of the liver and kidneys from three species known to be comparatively susceptible to sarin (rabbit, guinea pig, and monkey) and two species known to be less susceptible (rat and mouse) have been fractionated into their cell constituents (nuclei, mitochondria, microsomes, and non-particulate fraction). Each fraction has been tested for sarinase activity. The non-particulate fraction had the highest activity, the microsomes the second highest, the mitochondria the third highest, and the nuclei the lowest. The significance of the differences found in the distribution of sarinase activity in the cell fractions is discussed.Monkey cell fractions were also tested with ethyl N,N-dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate (tabun) as the substrate. The results were similar to those obtained with sarin, suggesting that the same enzyme was responsible for the hydrolysis of both substrates.