Glycolytic Activity in Extracts of Young Rat Skin’

The existence of the glycolytic sequence of enzymes in rat skiu is suggested by the data of a number of investigators. For example, Barron et al. (1) found that the endogenous, anaerobic evolution of CO, in slices of rat skiu was inhibited by iodoacetate, fluoride, and glyceraldehyde. Dixon and Needham (2) reported that their investigation into the mechanism of vesicant actiou indicated that the skin had a “phosphorylative type” of mechrtuism for the utilizntiou of glucose similar to that in muscle. In addition, several laboratories have apparently demonstrated the presence of hexokinase in rat skin [cf. (1, 2)]. A more direct piece of evidence for the glycolytic mechanism is t’he demonstrated conversion of FDI? to an equimolar mixture of PG and I’GA catalyzed by an extract of rat skin (3). The present paper presents results which confirm t’he existence of the individual glycolytic enzymes and indicate the presence of a “DPK-requiring” glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in rat skill.