Subcellular localisation of di- and tripeptidases in guinea pig and rat enterocytes.

Enterocytes were isolated from rat and guinea pig jejunum and subcellular fractions were prepared by density gradient centrifugation. Gradient fractions were assayed for principal organelle marker enzymes and for di- and tripeptidases. The hydrolases showed a dual localisation with both brush border and cytosol components. In the rat, approximately equal portions of dipeptidase activities were found in the two fractions but, in the guinea pig, three times more activity were found in the two fractions but, in the guinea pig, three times more activity was found in the soluble than in the brush border fractions. Cytosol components in the rat were markedly inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. In both species tripeptidase, leucyl-2-naphthylamidases and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities were found predominantly in the brush border fractions.