title: Microanalysis of epithelial and mesenchymal acid hydrolase activities in the developing palate.
abstract: Microdissection of lyophilized sections of fetal heads permits the analysis of relatively pure samples of epithelium and mesenchyme. These techniques were applied to a study of acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities in the developing palate in A/Jax mice. Acid phosphatase was found to be more concentrated in the palatal epithelium than the underlying mesenchyme. Conversely, beta-glucuronidase was more concentrated in the mesenchyme than the epithelium. A disparate developmental pattern of acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activity was observed in the oral epithelium: acid phosphatase activity increased from intra-uterine Day 17 into neonatehood and beta-glucuronidase activity decreased towards term. Analysis of cortisone-induced palatal shelves showed increased activity of both acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase in the presumptive fusing epithelium.
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000201:enzymology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D005333:Fetus / Q000201:enzymology; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010159:Palate / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D005966:Glucuronidase