Isolation and characterization of membranes from rat cerebral cortex

Abstract

Abstract The subcellular fractionation of rat cerebral cortex has been extended to an examination of all fractions in the zones comprising synaptosomes (obtained from unlysed crude mitochondrial fractions [P 2 ]) and synaptosomal membrances (from lysed P 2 ), with emphasis on junctional complexes. The parameters investigated included: (a) ultrastructure, (b) marker enzymes, (c) analytical acrylamide‐gel electropherograms for insoluble proteins, (d) rate of incorporation of labeled 3 H‐leucine into constituent proteins in slices, and (e) cytochemical localization of carbohydrate‐containing molecules. The results of these studies have provided the first stage for an analysis of the structure and dynamic chemistry of synaptic systems in the rat brain.