Lymphoid cell lines from patients with infantile (type-2) and juvenile (type 3) Gaucher disease have been established by Epstein-Barr virus transformation and investigated and compared with the adult phenotype (type 1) with the view to enzymology. The enzymatic defect in glucosylceramide(GlcCer)-beta-glucosidase activity was more severe in type 2 and 3 than in type 1 cells. The mutant GlcCer-beta-glucosidase from our studied type 2 lymphoid cells was profoundly labile at pH 4.0 and 37 degrees C, whereas the residual GlcCer-beta-glucosidase from type 1 and type 3 were stable similar to the normal enzyme. In contrast to the distinct stability of the GlcCer-beta-glucosidases from the three phenotypes, the acid lability of the nonspecific membrane-bound beta-glucosidases from type 1, 2 and 3 were quite similar.