Which enzyme digests glycogen in histological demonstrations?

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Multiple Choice

Which enzyme digests glycogen in histological demonstrations?

Explanation:
Glycogen is often demonstrated with PAS tissue staining, which makes glycogen appear magenta. To confirm that the PAS-positive substance is glycogen, sections are treated with diastase, an amylase enzyme that breaks down glycogen by hydrolyzing the α-1,4 glycosidic bonds. If the PAS staining disappears after diastase digestion, glycogen was present; if it remains, the material is not glycogen (it could be other PAS-positive substances like certain mucopolysaccharides). The other enzymes mentioned don’t target glycogen in this context: hyaluronidase digests hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix, protease digests proteins, and while amylase can digest carbohydrates, the standard histochemical control for glycogen is diastase digestion.

Glycogen is often demonstrated with PAS tissue staining, which makes glycogen appear magenta. To confirm that the PAS-positive substance is glycogen, sections are treated with diastase, an amylase enzyme that breaks down glycogen by hydrolyzing the α-1,4 glycosidic bonds. If the PAS staining disappears after diastase digestion, glycogen was present; if it remains, the material is not glycogen (it could be other PAS-positive substances like certain mucopolysaccharides). The other enzymes mentioned don’t target glycogen in this context: hyaluronidase digests hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix, protease digests proteins, and while amylase can digest carbohydrates, the standard histochemical control for glycogen is diastase digestion.

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