A comparison of membrane-bound enzymes of the isolated brush border plasma membranes of the cestodes of Hymenolepis diminuta and H. microstoma.

Preparations of isolated brush border plasma membrane of Hymenolepis diminuta and H. microstoma possess the following enzymatic activities: alkaline phosphohydrolase (E.C. 3.1.3.1); Type I phosphodiesterase (E.E. 3.1.4.1); ribonuclease (E.C. 3.1.4.22); adenosine triphosphatase (E.C. 3.6.1.3); and 5'-nucleotidase (E.C. 3.1.3.5). The following enzymatic activities could not be demonstrated in either membrane preparation: Type II phosphodiesterase (E.C. 3.1.4.18); cyclic adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (E.C. 3.1.4.17); leucine aminopeptidase (E.C. 3.4.11.1); maltase (alpha-glucosidase; E.C. 3.2.1.20); and lactase (beta-galactosidase; E.C. 3.2.1.23). These data generally agree with those of previous studies in which similar membrane-bound enzymes were demonstrated in intact (living) worms.