Electron histochemical study of phosphorylase system in choroidal melanoma

Abstract

4 choroidal melanomas have been studied by electron histochemical techniques for phosphorylase activity. Of the 4 melanomas studied, 2 were spindle B and 2 were epitheloid cell types. Electron micrographs of the tumour cells incubated in the medium revealed that polyglucose particles synthesized by phosphorylase and branching glycosyltransferase were found in both spindle B and epitheloid cells. Synthesized polyglucose particles in both spindle B and epitheloid cells showed 2 patterns. The one was fine granular form and the other was the deposition of amorphous particles which greatly expanded the cytoplasmic matrices. Melanophages in both cell types also showed 2 patterns of synthesized polyglucose particles, fine granular and amorphous. It is concluded that both phosphorylase and branching glycosyltransferase are active in both spindle B and epithelioid cells of choroidal melanomas and their melanophages. It is also indicated that there is no difference in glycolysis among these cells of melanomas.