Peroxisomal enzyme activity changes in the tail of anuran tadpoles during metamorphosis.

This study attempts to clarify peroxisomal enzyme activity changes in the atrophying tail of anuran tadpoles. Changes in catalase, D-amino acid oxidase and urate oxidase activity were spectrophotometrically investigated using tadpole tails of Rana japonica and Rana nigromaculata. In R. japonica, total catalase activity decreased in tails undergoing regression during spontaneous and DL-thyroxine (T4)-induced metamorphosis, whereas total D-amino acid oxidase and urate oxidase activity increased. In R. nigromaculata, total activity of catalase decreased in tails regressing spontaneously. Total D-amino acid oxidase activity increased during advanced stages of tail regression, but total urate oxidase activity decreased. Specific activity of tadpole peroxisomal enzymes in the above two species was found to be highest for D-amino acid oxidase, followed by urate oxidase and then catalase at latter stages of normal tail regression. Atrophying tadpole tails develop a mechanism for hydrogen peroxide production, which may contribute to cell death in this organ.