Expression of heteropolymeric hexosaminidase A activity is reported in a human X mouse hybrid cell line that contains an X/15 translocation chromosome but lacks human chromosome 5 and has no detectable human hexosaminidase B activity. (Hexosaminidase is beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase; EC 3.2.1.30; 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucoside acetamidodeoxyglucohydrolase.) That the hexosaminidase A enzyme of these cells contains the human hexosaminidase-alpha subunit and not the human hexosaminidase-beta subunit is indicated by the cells' reactions to specific antisera prepared against the alpha subunit and against the beta subunit. Our results indicate that the hexosaminidase A activity in this hybrid cell line is the expression of a hybrid molecule composed of human hexosaminidase-alpha subunit and a mouse hexosaminidase subunit. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the human hexosaminidase A enzyme is formed from alpha and beta subunits coded for by genes on chromosomes 15 and 5, respectively.

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