Summary
Changes in the ultrastructure, and distribution of phosphatases in the intestinal epithelium of Rana temporaria during development were consistent with other developmental changes. Alkaline phosphatase AMP-ase and ATP-ase were always associated with sites of absorption of foodstuffs into the cell. Initially, these were only the yolk platelets but at the onset of feeding the brush border lateral wall, membranes and associated absorption vesicles all became sites of activity. At metamorphosis when the larvae cease feeding, the enzyme activities decreased and became difficult to detect.
In the early larval stages, acid phosphatase activity was confined principally to the lateral cell-wall membranes. This soon disappeared but was followed at metamorphosis by a dramatic increase in both the number of sites and their activity. In general, acid phosphatase appeared to be associated with areas of degeneration. The new epithelial cells which developed during metamorphosis appeared under the old epithelium. The cell debris from the larval epithelium was then expelled into the lumen of the intestine. The new epithelium contained sites of enzyme activity similar to those of the adult. Acid phosphatase was now present only in lysosome-like bodies and very sparsely on the brush border.
These results are discussed in relation to dietary and structural changes. It is suggested that the presence of the enzymes at any site can be related to and anticipate these changes, possibly under hormonal control.
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Brown, A.C., Millington, P.F. Electron microscope studies of phosphatases in the small intestine of Rana temporaria during larval development and metamorphosis. Histochemie 12, 83–94 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306349
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306349