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ERYTHROCYTIC GALACTOKINASE ACTIVITY IN NEONATAL AND ADULT BLOOD FROM VARIOUS MAMMALIAN SPECIES
Author(s) -
Harley JD,
Irvine Susan,
Gupta JD
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1974.37
Subject(s) - galactokinase , galactose , biology , enzyme , fetus , endocrinology , andrology , biochemistry , pregnancy , medicine , physiology , genetics , escherichia coli , gene
Summary Wide variation exists between various mammalian species with regard to erythrocytic galactokinase activity. In man, the galactokinase activity is approximately double in neonatal than adult erythrocytes, suggesting the possibility that activity of this enzyme may be stimulated as a result of exposure of the human foetus to galactose during pregnancy. However, no consistent pattern emerged from testing various other mammalian species, in that the mean neonatal and adult erythrocytic galactokinase ratio ranged from 0·73 in guinea‐pigs to 3·77 in rats. While the wide variations observed in both neonatal and adult erythrocytes remain unexplained, the high neonatal: adult ratio of erythrocytic galactokinase activity observed in humans and rats may reflect an evolutionary process of adaptation to post‐natal exposure in two species known to be susceptible to galactose cataractogenesis.