The effects of cadmium on the p-nitrophenyl phosphatase and inorganic pyrophosphatase activities of alkaline phosphatase in developing hamster tooth germs.

p-Nitrophenyl phosphatase (p-NPP-ase) and inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPi-ase) activities originate from the same alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Only the PPi-ase site has zinc (Zn2+) as a cofactor. Cadmium (Cd2+) in concentrations from 10(-5) mol/l upwards inhibited the PPi-ase activity, but did not inhibit the p-NPP-ase activity at all. In mineralizing tooth germs Cd2+ may replace Zn2+, thereby changing the specific stereoconfiguration in the active centre needed for PPi-ase activity, but not that for p-NPP-ase activity.