Summary
Three kinds of nucleoside phosphatases were demonstrated histochemically in the cat carotid body with nucleoside triphosphate, nucleoside disphosphate and nucleoside monophosphate as substrates. Each of these enzyme activities exhibited the substrate specificity respectively. The nucleoside triphosphatase activity showed specific localization in association with the parenchymal cells of the carotid body.
The electronmicroscopy revealed that the reaction product was located on and between the two apposing plasma membranes of type I and type II cells, of a type II cell and its wrapping axons and of the intricate basal infolding of a type II cell itself.
Some possible functions of the adenosine triphosphatase in the carotid body are discussed.
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Nada, O., Ulano, Y. Adenosine triphosphatase activity in the carotid body of the cat. Z.Zellforsch 130, 455–462 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306999
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306999