Summary
The fine structural localization of acid phosphatase was studied in cartilage of mandibular condyles of the mouse. Although the final product was found to be deposited within most chondroblasts and chondrocytes, the most abundant precipitate was observed within the hypertrophic chondrocytes in the vicinity of the mineralization front. In these cells, lead phosphate precipitates were noted along the rough endoplasmic reticulum and within lysosome-like bodies. Positive reaction to acid phosphatase was also noticed within vacuoles which were located in the matrix close to the centers of mineralization. It is conceivable that this enzyme is involved in matrix production at one stage of chondrogenesis and in the mineralization process at a later stage.
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This investigation was supported in part by Grant No. DE 00163 from the National Institute of Dental Research, U.S.P.H.S., and in part by Tufts University Cancer Research Center Institutional Grant IN-23-0.
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Silbermann, M., Frommer, J. Ultrastructural localization of acid phosphatase in cartilage of young mandibular condyles. Histochemie 37, 365–369 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274971
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274971