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The retinal acid phosphatase of a crab,Leptograpsus: Characterisation, and relation to the cyclical turnover of photoreceptor membrane

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Summary

  1. 1.

    Despite the presence of several cell-types in the retina ofLeptograpsus, only one electrophoretic species of acid phosphatase (AcPh) could be detected on acrylamide gels, discounting the existence of more than one isoenzyme proposed by previous authors.

  2. 2.

    Crab retinal AcPh is readily inhibited by low concentrations of fluoride, but D-(+)-tartaric acid is almost without inhibitory effect. No cation requirements could be demonstrated.

  3. 3.

    Electrophoretic data are consistent with a homo-oligomeric quaternary structure for crab retinal AcPh and a 65 KD subunit.

  4. 4.

    AcPh levels were determined throughout the daily cycle using crabs maintained on a 12∶12 h L/D cycle provided by fluorescent lights.

  5. 5.

    Diminution of rhabdom diameter and degradation of internalised membrane during the first 4 h after light-on is reflected by an increase of retinal AcPh which occurs even if the crabs are held in darkness. Lysosomal systems, therefore, can be activated by endogenous factors.

  6. 6.

    AcPh levels in retinae of crabs allowed to experience lights-off at the normal time and in those of crabs held in continuous light over the same period follow identical courses.

  7. 7.

    Cyclical changes in AcPh titres are blurred by high inter-individual variation which is attributed to AcPh pools in systems other than that responsible for degrading photoreceptor membrane. Such sites of activity were demonstrated by ultrastructural cytochemistry to be associated with lipo-protein bodies, the autophagy of pigment granules and the involution of mitochondria. Occasionally, AcPh-positive structures are seen in glia, but under the conditions of these experiments contamination of the retinal samples by patent AcPh derived from the distal lamina appears to be trivial.

  8. 8.

    Possible regulatory mechanisms for the lysosomal systems of arthropod photoreceptors are discussed.

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Abbreviations

AcPh :

acid phosphatase (orthophosphate monoester phosphohydrolase, E.C. 3.1.3.2.)

EGTA :

ethyleneglycolbis (β-amino-ethyl ether)N,N′-tetra-acetic acid

PIPES :

piperazine N,N′-bis(2-ethane sulphonic acid)

TRIS :

Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane

SDS :

sodium dodecyl sulphate

PAGE :

polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, P.O. Box 475, 2601, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia

    H. G. de Couet & A. D. Blest

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  1. H. G. de Couet
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  2. A. D. Blest
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de Couet, H.G., Blest, A.D. The retinal acid phosphatase of a crab,Leptograpsus: Characterisation, and relation to the cyclical turnover of photoreceptor membrane. J. Comp. Physiol. 149, 353–362 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619151

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619151

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