CYTOCHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION OF PHOSPHATASES AND 

 ESTERASES IN 3IALPI(miAN TUBES OF LARVAE AND ADULTS 

 OF GALLERIA MELLONELLA 



Распределение фосфатаз и эстераз в мальпигиевых сосзщах личинок 

 и имаго восковой моли 



А. PRZELECKA and А. WRONISZEWSKA 



(Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 



Warsaw, Poland) 



Phosphatases and esterases were in\^estigated in Malpighian tubes of 

 Galleria mellonella L. larvae by means of cytochemical methods described 

 in the previous paper (Przelecka et al., 1959). A high enzymatic activity 

 of alkaline (Fig. I. — 1 and 3) and of acid phosphatase (Fig. I — 4), as well as 

 of esterases (Fig I. — 9, Fig. 11—12 and 13) were observed only in the upper 

 parts of the tubes, which are suspended freely in the haemocoel. The remaining, 

 lower parts ending with a junction with the proctodeum, show^ed either no 

 enzymatic activity or only a very low one (Fig. I — 1). These two regions 

 of the tubes are morphologically different. If the tube is examined on the whole 

 the enzymatically highly active upper part appears as undulate, whereas 

 the lower part looks rather hke a straight tube (Fig. 1 — 3, Fig. 11—12 and 

 13). On cross sections the two regions also show differences: the diameter 

 of the upper part of the tube and the diameter of its lumen is smaller than 

 that of the other (Fig. 1 — 6); their cells have large nuclei and are provided 

 with a well developed brush border (Fig. 1 — 2); the cells form many protrus- 

 ions into the lumen, so that the lumen of the upper part of the tube has an 

 appearance of a system of complicated and joined canaliculi. This is seen 

 especially Avell if after an enzymatic reaction localised chiefly on brush bor- 

 der the Malpighian tube is observed in the whole (Fig. II — 11). 



In the upper part of the tube the alkaline phosphatase is localized in two 

 distinct layers: the basal layer and the supranuclear layer \vhich extends 

 to the brush border (Fig. I — 7). In the lower section, where the enzymatic 

 reaction is very weak, only a basal layer may be seen (Fig. I — 8). The cellular 

 distribution of the acid phosphatase is quite different; it is localized chiefly 

 in ceU nuclei (Fig. 1 — 4). 



Esterases which sphtt 5 Bromoindoxyl acetate are dispersed throughout 

 the cell cytoplasm and are nor seen in the nuclei (Fig. II — 10). Esterases 

 liydrolysing ^-naphtyl acetate are localized, similarly to alkaline phosphatase, 

 in two layers — the basal and the supranuclear one. (Fig. II — 15). In the 

 lower part of the tube these two layers are much less noticeable (Fig. II — IG). 



12* 179 



