QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nieto-Sampedro, M. Articles by Cotman, C. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nieto-Sampedro, M. Articles by Cotman, C. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 2, 722-734, Copyright © 1982 by Society for Neuroscience

ARTICLE

Isolation, morphology, and protein and glycoprotein composition of synaptic junctional fractions from the brain of lower vertebrates: antigen PSD-95 as a junctional marker

M Nieto-Sampedro, CM Bussineau and CW Cotman

Synaptic junction (SJ) fractions were isolated from the brains of the gray shark, bonito, common frog, several reptiles, and common chicken and compared to those prepared from mammalian brain. All SJ preparations, as judged by electron microscopic analysis, were at least 85% pure, consisting primarily of postsynaptic densities (PSDs) with or without an overlying plasma membrane and, to a lesser extent, of complete synaptic junctions. Complete junctions were less abundant in preparations from lower vertebrates. The electrophoretic pattern of SJs from different vertebrate species showed considerable conservation of the major protein bands. The most abundant were fibrous proteins, especially tubulins, actin, and the PSD-specific polypeptide with a molecular weight of 52,000 (PSD-52). Glycoproteins capable of binding concanavalin A were present in SJs from all vertebrates; their apparent molecular weight and relative abundance were characteristic of each animal order examined, showing more similarities in species more closely related phylogenetically. Finally, a protein (antigen PSD-95) previously shown to be located specifically in the postsynaptic densities of the mammalian brain was present in all species. The binding of antibody specific to this protein decreased with descending phylogenetic order from mammals to shark. Nonetheless, PSD-95 was present in all vertebrate species and appeared to be a general specific marker for PSDs.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Nourry, S. G. N. Grant, and J.-P. Borg PDZ Domain Proteins: Plug and Play! Sci. Signal., April 22, 2003; 2003(179): re7 - re7. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help