Arylsulphatase C and sterol sulphatase activities in microsomes from human placenta.

Microsomes of human placenta were tested with respect to sulphohydrolase activity towards p-nitrophenyl sulphate, oestrone sulphate, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and pregnenolone sulphate. Microsomal sulphohydrolases were solubilized by treatment with 0.5% Triton X-100 at pH 9.0. Bio-gel A 1.5 m column chromatography allowed to separate the microsomal arylsulphatase into subfractions differing in molecular mass and substrate specificity. Oestrone sulphate sulphohydrolase appeared to be as specific for microsomal fraction as glucose-6-phosphatase.