Comparative Studies on Muscle Aldolases Purified from Rat, Rabbit, Human, Pigeon, and Hen

Muscle aldolases [EC 4.1. 2.13] have been purified from rat, rabbit, human, pigeon, and hen. No significant differences among the five enzymes were detected in electrophoresis, ultracentrifugal analysis and kinetic properties. But some differences were observed in immunochemical investigation by means of double diffusion analysis and enzyme inhibition in the presence of antibodies against rat, human or pigeon muscle aldolase. Fowl anti-rat (or anti-human) muscle aldolase sera cross-reacted completely with other two mammalian aldolases, but did little with aldolases isolated from avians (hen and pigeon). Guinea pig anti-pigeon aldolase sera cross-reacted with hen aldolase, but did not with those of mammalians. It is concluded that in immunochemical and biochemical properties, three mammalian muscle aldolases are remarkably similar with each other, but those of birds lack some of the antigenic determinants present in the mammalian enzymes; even between hen and pigeon, the former aldolase lacks some of the determinants in that of the latter.