Variation in ten lysosomal hydrolase enzyme activities in inbred mouse strains

Activities of 10 lysosomal hydrolase enzymes (β-hexosaminidase, β-galactosidase, α-galactosidase, α-mannosidase, β-mannosidase, α-l-fucosidase, β-glucuronidase, α-glucosidase, α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, and acid phosphatase) were determined in eight organs (brain, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, skeletal muscle, lung, and testis) in males and females of six inbred mouse strains (C57 BL/6J, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2J, BALB/cJ, P/J, and 129/J). Examples of enzyme-specific variation, organ-specific variation, and enzyme- and organ-specific variation were found. New enzyme-specific variants with the features of systemic regulators for α-l-fucosidase and β-mannosidase were found. Known variants were detected. Organ-specific variants had some of the properties expected for a new class of genes affecting multiple enzymes: organ-specific regulators.