Abstract
The enzyme activities of uridyltransferase and galactokinase in liver, kidney, brain, lung, heart, muscle and spleen of human fetuses with gestation ages from 7 to 28 weeks have been examined. The activity was determined by the carbon C-14 method. The uridyltransferase activities expressed as nmoles UDP-galactose produced/min./mg protein increased with the increasing gestation ages in liver (7.9-33.0), lung (0.7-6.7), heart (0.6-6.0) and spleen (0.4-5.5), while relatively constant values are obtained during this period from brain (ca. 1.2), kidney (ca. 3.6) and muscle (ca. 2.0). The transferase activity in liver reached a maximum level just before birth, and then decreased slowly to plateau, i.e., the value of a 4 month old baby was 14.5, and that of a one and half year old baby was 8.5. The developmental characteristics of galactokinase in fetal organs were similar to uridyltransferase. In liver (0.17-3.80), lung (0.06-2.3) and heart (0.16-3.2) the activity increased with the increasing gestation ages. Km of uridyltransferase for galactose-1-phosphate was 0.3 mM in fetus liver, and that of galactokinase for galactose, 0.27 mM.
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Shin-Buehring, Y., Beier, T., Tan, A. et al. 115: Galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase and galactokinase activity in fetus organs of different gestation ages. Pediatr Res 10, 889 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00106