Enzyme activity pattern in developing mouse brain in situ in embryonic brain aggregated cells at 37 degrees C and 0 degree C.

In aggregates of nervous tissue, cultivated for 1--7 days at 0 degree C and 37 degrees C, respectively, the activities of seven enzymes of energy liberating metabolism were estimated, in order to evaluate their metabolic "profiles" and changes during cultivation. The enzymes used as markers of different pathways of energy liberation from substrates were: lactate dehydrogenase - LDH - (EC 1.1.1.27), triose-3-phosphate dehydrogenase - TPDH - (EC 1.2.1.12), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase - GPDH - (EC 1.1.1.8), hexokinase - HK - (EC 2.7.1.1.), malate:NAD dehydrogenase - MDH - (EC 1.1.1.37), citrate synthase - CS - (EC 4.1.3.7), and 3-hydroxyacetyl CoA dehydrogenase - HOADH - (EC 1.1.1.35). During the cultivation, some changes in the metabolic "profiles" were observed. Although some of these changes as well as the differences between the cultivation at 0 degree C and 37 degrees C, were statistically significant, they were not greater than the variations between different samples of any tissue taken at different times. They were not, therefore considered to be of major significance. However, all the aggregates exhibited "profiles" characteristic for the nervous tissue, with relatively very high activity of HK, high activity of MDH and CS (carbohydrate breakdown) and low activity of GPDH and HOADH (lipid catabolism).