Abstract
The objective of our study was to determine the cellular localisation of glucose-6-phosphatase in developing human kidney using monospecific antiserum and a standard immunohistochemical method (peroxidase-antiperoxidase, PAP) on formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tissue. In embryonic and early fetal development of the metanephric kidney, glucose-6-phosphatase is located primarily in derivatives of the ureteric bud such as the pelvis, calyxes and collecting ducts. In mid-fetal life as nephrons evolve and develop they become increasingly immunoreactive to glucose-6-phosphatase, such that in mature metanephric kidney the proximal tubules are highly reactive for glucose-6-phosphatase with other elements of the nephron also immunopositive albeit at lower reactivities. In addition the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule and some cells of the visceral layer are immunopositive. Only with the development of nephrons does the early predominance of glucose-6-phosphatase immunoreactivity to ureteric bud derivatives change: in mature kidney the reactivity in the collecting ducts is a small proportion of the total. In proximal tubular cells the distribution of glucose-6-phosphatase immunoreactivity is relatively uniform throughout development in contrast to collecting ducts where in fetal life this reactivity is displaced to the apices and basal areas by intracellular glycogen deposits. The mesonephric kidney has a similar pattern of glucose-6-phosphatase immunoreactivity to that of metanephric kidney. The availability of monospecific antiserum to glucose-6-phosphatase and immunohistochemical methods now allows an alternative approach to cellular localisation. Many of the difficulties in the fixation of tissue and assay of glucose-6-phosphatase activity inherent in conventional histochemical methods are avoided by such methods.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell JE, Hume R, Busuttil A, Burchell A (1993) Immunocytochemical detection of microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase in human brain astrocytes. Neuropathol Applied Neurobiol 19: 429–435
Benkoel L, Gulian JM, Payan MJ, Choux R, Brisse J, Chamlian A (1989) Cytochemical demonstration of glucose-6-phosphatase in human liver. Cell Mol Biol 35: 563–571
Benner U, Hacker HJ, Bannasch P (1979) Electron microscopical demonstration of glucose-6-phosphatase in native cryostat sections fixed with glutaraldehyde through semipermeable membranes. Histochemistry 65: 41–47
Bertellot A, Hugan JS (1975) Effect of glutaraldehyde and lead on the activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase. A biochemical and cytochemical study. Histochemistry 43: 197–214
Burchell A (1992) The molecular basis of the type 1 glycogen storage diseases. Bioessays 14: 395–400
Burchell A, Cain DI (1985) Rat hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase protein levels are increased in streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Diabetologia 28: 852–856
Burchell A, Waddell ID (1991) The molecular basis of the hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system. Biochim Biophys Acta 1092: 129–137
Burchell A, Waddell ID, Countaway JL, Arion WJ, Hume R (1988) Identification of the human hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme. FEBS Lett 242: 153–156
Burchell A, Gibb L, Waddell ID, Giles M, Hume R (1990) The ontogeny of the human hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase proteins. Clin Chem 36: 1633–1637
Burchell A, Lyall H, Busuttil A, Bell J, Hume R (1992) Glucose metabolism and hypoglycaemia in SIDS. J Clin Pathol 45 (Suppl): 39–45
Chen Y-T, Burchell A (1993) Glycogen storage diseases. In: Scriver CR, Beaudet AL, Sly WS, Valle D (eds) The metabolic basis of inherited disease, 7th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, Chapter 24, in press
Chen Y-T, Coleman RA, Scheinman JI, Kolbede PC, Sidbury JB (1988) Renal disease in type I glycogen storage disease. N Engl J Med 318: 7–11
Chen Y-T, Scheinman JI, Park HK, Coleman RA, Roe CR (1990) Amelioration of proximal renal tubular dysfunction in type I glycogen storage disease with dietary therapy. N Engl J Med 323: 590–593
Chiquoine AD (1953) The distribution of glucose-6-phosphatase in the liver and kidney of the mouse. J Histochem Cytochem 1: 429–439
Cori GT, Cori CF (1952) Glucose-6-phosphatase of the liver in glycogen storage disease. J Biol Chem 199: 661–667
Essner E (1973) Phosphatases. In: Hayat MA (ed) Electron microscopy of enzymes. Principals and methods, vol 1. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, p 44
Hume R, Burchell A (1993) Abnormal expression of glucose-6-phosphatase in preterm infants. Arch Dis Child 68: 202–204
Jonges GN, Van Noorden CJF, Gossrau R (1990) Quantitative histochemical analysis of glucose-6-phosphatase activity in rat liver using an optimised cerium-diaminobenzidine method. J Histochem Cytochem 38: 1413–1419
Kalicharan D, Hulstaert CE, Hardonk MJ (1985) Prevention of penetration hindrance in cerium-based glucose-6-phosphatase cytochemistry by freezing tissue in melting nitrogen. Histochemistry 82: 287–292
Kanamura S (1971a) Fine structural demonstration of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity after perfixation of fresh frozen sections in glutaraldehyde. J Histochem Cytochem 19: 320–323
Kanamura S (1971b) Ultrastructural localization of glucose-6-phosphatase activity in proximal convoluted tubule cells of rat kidney. Histochemie 28: 288–295
Maly IP, Sasse D (1983) A technical note on the histochemical demonstration of glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Histochemistry 78: 409–411
Marchesi VT, Palade GE (1967) The localization of Mg-Na-K-activated adenosine triphosphatase on red cell ghost membranes. J Cell Biol 35: 385–404
Nordlie RC (1976) Glucose-6-phosphatase phosphotransferase. In: Hanson RW (ed) Gluconeogenesis: its regulation in mammalian species. Wiley & Sons, New York, pp 93–152
Nordlie RC (1985) Fine tuning of blood glucose concentrations. Trends Biochem Sci 10: 70–78
O'Rahilly R, Muller F (1987) Developmental stages in human embryos. Carnegie Inst Washington Publ 637
Pears JS, Jung RT, Hopwood D, Waddell ID, Burchell A (1992) Ten cases of symptomatic adult hypoglycaemia due to hepatic glycogen metabolising abnormalities. Q J Med 299: 207–222
Potter EL (1972) Normal and abnormal development in the kidney. Year Book Medical Publishers, Chicago
Restaino I, Kaplan BS, Stanley C, Baker L (1993) Nephrolithiasis, hypocitraturia, and a distal renal tubular acidification defect in type I glycogen storage disease. J Pediatr 122: 392–396
Scammon RE, Calkins LA (1929) The development and growth of the external dimensions of the human body in the fetal period. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis
Sternberger LA, Hardy PH, Cuculis J, Meyer HG (1990) The unlabelled antibody method of immunohistochemistry: preparation and properties of soluble antigen — antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-anti-horseradish peroxidase) and its use in identification of spirochaetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18: 315–333
Thiery G, Bernier J, Bergeron M (1990) A new method based on cobalt for histochemical and cytochemical demonstration of glucose-6-phosphatase activity. J Histochem Cytochem 38: 1503–1509
Wachstein M, Meisel E (1956) On the histochemical demonstration of glucose-6-phosphatase. J Histochem Cytochem 4: 592
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hume, R., Hallas, A., Burchell, A. et al. Immunohistochemical localisation of glucose-6-phosphatase in developing human kidney. Histochemistry 101, 413–417 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00269491
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00269491