Prostaglandins: localization in subcellular particles of rat cerebral cortex

Homogenates of rat cerebral cortex contain material corresponding to prostaglandins E(1), E(2), F(1)alpha, and F(2)alpha which are concentrated mainly in the light microsomal and mitochondrial fractions. Only the former fraction exhibits significant ability to synthesize prostaglandins E(1) and F(1)alpha from bis-homo-gamma-linolenic acid. After subfractionation of the crude mitochondrial fraction, prostaglandin E and F material is found mainly in the cholinergic and noncholinergic nerve endings. We conclude that the nerve endings are a storage site, whereas the light microsomes are the site of synthesis.

The density of synapses and neurones in the motor and visual areas of the cerebral cortex

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The osmotically sensitive potassium and sodium compartments of synaptosomes

1. Synaptosomes are pinched-off nerve terminals whose components can be liberated by osmotic ;shock'. A synaptosome preparation run through a Sephadex column that was eluted with an iso-osmotic solution retained its small ions, whereas when the column was eluted hypo-osmotically the small ions were lost. In this way the osmotically sensitive Na(+) and K(+) of synaptosomes were measured. Measurements of the lactate dehydrogenase occluded within the synaptosome were also made. The release of osmotically sensitive Na(+) and K(+) and occluded lactate dehydrogenase had similar characteristics with respect to the degree of osmotic ;shock' necessary and the action of lytic agents. 2. The distribution of osmotically sensitive Na(+), K(+) and occluded lactate dehydrogenase in the subfractions of a crude mitochondrial preparation was examined. The synaptosome fraction was the richest source of these constituents. 3. On standing at 5 degrees in iso-osmotic solution Na(+) and K(+) were lost from synaptosomes, whereas the amount of occluded lactate dehydrogenase remained stable, suggesting that the synaptosome membrane retained its integrity but that Na(+) and K(+) diffused through it out of the osmotically sensitive compartment. 4. The uptake of Na(+) and K(+) into the osmotically sensitive compartment was examined. At 5 degrees the rates of uptake of Na(+) and K(+) were found to be equal to the rates of loss of these ions when correction to a uniform concentration gradient had been made. K(+) travelled across the membrane slightly faster than Na(+), the rate of K(+) movement being about 1.0mumuequiv.cm.(-2)sec.(-1) under a concentration gradient of 0.1m. Active transport is not thought to contribute to the ion movements under the conditions used. 5. The amount of K(+) taken up into the osmotically sensitive compartment as a function of the external concentration was examined. Since the uncharged molecule d-[(14)C]galactose distributes across the synaptosome membrane similarly to K(+) there is not thought to be a synaptosomal trans-membrane potential. The volume of the osmotically sensitive compartment was measured by this method and found to agree with estimates of the synaptosomal volume made from morphological studies. In media of low ionic strength synaptosomes exhibit a Donnan effect. 6. It is concluded from these studies that the osmotically sensitive compartment represents the inner volume of the synaptosome, which is completely separated from the outside environment by a diffusion barrier having many of the general properties of a biological membrane.

The subcellular distribution and properties of hexokinases in the guinea-pig cerebral cortex

1. Hexokinase activities were estimated in primary subcellular fractions from guinea-pig cerebral cortex and in sucrose-density-gradient subfractions of the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. 2. Appreciable activities were observed in mitochondrial, microsomal and soluble fractions. The activity in the mitochondrial fraction was associated with the mitochondria rather than with myelin or nerve endings and that in the microsomal fraction was associated with membrane fragments. 3. Most of the mitochondrial activity was extracted in soluble form by osmotic ;shock'. The activity of the mitochondrial extract differed from the soluble activity in kinetic properties and in electrophoretic behaviour. 4. No evidence was obtained for the presence of a high-K(m) glucokinase in the brain. 5. The results are discussed in terms of relevance to considerations of glucose utilization by the brain.

Extracellular space in the cerebral cortex of the mouse

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Isolation of cell nuclei from the mammalian cerebral cortex and their assortment on a morphological basis

An aqueous method is described for the isolation of highly purified nuclei from the cerebral cortex of adult guinea pigs. Erythrocytes were removed by a short-time perfusion of the brain, myelin fragments by a rapid mechanical method, and blood capillaries by a centrifugal sieving through dense sucrose solutions. The nuclear preparation retained the activity of ATP:NMN adenylyltransferase. Recoveries of DNA in the P4I, P4II, P(L) and P(S) preparations were 30, 43, 8, and 7%, respectively. Microscopy and phase contrast microscopy showed a satisfactory removal of erythrocytes, myelin fragments, capillaries, and cytoplasmic elements. Biochemical purity of samples was verified by the absence of several cytoplasmic enzyme activities. In the electron microscope, the majority of nuclei showed well-preserved nuclear membranes, with nuclear pores, and were provided with a finely textured nucleoplasm. Occasional contaminants were elements of endoplasmic reticulum and of the endothelium. Assortment of nuclei on a morphological basis showed that 55-65% and 47-53% of nuclei in the P4I and P4II preparations, respectively, consisted of neuronal nuclei. In the P(L) preparation, the population of neuronal nuclei ranged between 72 and 83%, while 94-99% of the nuclei in the P(S) preparation consisted of smaller nuclei, most likely of oligodendroglial origin.

Preparation of enriched fractions from cerebral cortex containing isolated, metabolically active neuronal and glial cells

1. A procedure has been developed for the separation of intact metabolically active neuronal and glial cells in bulk from rat cerebral cortex. Separation depended on dispersion of the tissue in a Ficoll medium followed by centrifugation on a discontinuous Ficoll gradient. Up to 1.5x10(7) neuronal cells could be collected from 12 brains within 3hr. The morphological appearance of these cells seemed good, and the fraction was 8.5-fold purified in terms of dry weight. Average dry weight per neuron was 2300mumug. Maximum glial contamination of the neuronal fraction was 11% as determined by carbonic anhydrase measurements. The glial fraction was free from neurons but contained various subcellular contaminants. 2. Concentrations of nucleic acids, phospholipid, protein and phosphoprotein were determined in the separated fractions. The neuronal fraction was richer than the glial in all except phospholipid. Succinate dehydrogenase was equally distributed between neurons and glia but the neuronal fraction was 1.8-fold enriched in cytochrome oxidase. 3. Measurement of respiration by the cells showed an endogenous uptake of 117mmumoles of oxygen/mg./hr. in neurons, and 173mmumoles of oxygen/mg./hr. in glia. Addition of substrate at 10mm stimulated uptake to similar values in both fractions. With glucose it was 390, with pyruvate 355, and with glutamate 215mmumoles of oxygen/mg./hr. This represented a larger stimulation of neuronal than of glial respiration compared with the basal level. 4. Respiration in cell suspensions was 70-80% of that of slices, whereas fractionated tissue homogenates had respiratory rates of only one-third those of the cell suspensions. Lactate dehydrogenase content of cell suspensions was maintained during gradient centrifugation and washing. 5. The possible uses of isolated cell preparations are discussed.

Phosphate binding by cerebral microsomes in relation to adenosine-triphosphatase activity

1. Microsomes prepared from guinea-pig and ox brain were incubated for periods of a few seconds with low concentrations of Mg-[(32)P]ATP, the reaction was stopped with trichloroacetic acid and determinations were made of the phosphate bound to the acid-washed, and in some cases solvent-extracted, residue. 2. At 20 mum-ATP, at 37 degrees and in the presence of Na(+) ions, 30-50 mumumoles of phosphate/mg. of microsomal protein were bound by the preparation within 1 sec. of starting the reaction; little further change in level occurred until hydrolysis of ATP exceeded 50%, when the bound phosphate began to decline fairly rapidly to the zero-time value. 3. At 20mum-ATP without Na(+) ions present or in the presence of K(+) ions, the level of bound phosphate increased gradually and did not decline as ATP hydrolysis approached completion. 4. Potassium ions either inhibited the formation of Na(+)-dependent bound phosphate or, when added during the course of the reaction, rapidly reduced its level. 5. At 200 mum-ATP the bound phosphate formed in the presence of Na(+) ions appeared to consist of a mixture of the unstable Na(+)-dependent type and the stable type requiring only Mg(2+) ions for its formation. 6. Non-radioactive ATP added during the course of the reaction at 20 mum-ATP with Na(+)ions present rapidly discharged virtually all the bound (32)P counts; at 200 mum-ATP only a proportion of the label was similarly discharged. The Na(+)-dependent bound phosphate is therefore turning over, in contrast with that formed in the absence of Na(+)ions, which proved more stable. 7. The Na(+)-dependent bound phosphate was not in the form of ATP; experiments with [(14)C]ATP instead of [(32)P]ATP showed a small and invariable binding of ATP by the preparation unaffected by Na(+) ions or time of incubation. 8. Under the usual conditions employed in this work ouabain stimulated formation of Na(+)-dependent bound phosphate when Na(+) ions were suboptimum and inhibited it when optimum Na(+) ions were present. 9. The Na(+)-dependent binding reaction under present conditions did not involve incorporation into phosphorylserine groups. 10. The relation of the findings to the (Na(+),K(+))-ATPase of the preparation, and to observations in brain slices appearing to implicate phosphorylserine groups in cation transport, is discussed.

Enzyme transfer of phosphate from adenosine triphosphate to protein-bound serine residues in cerebral microsomes

1. Microsomes from guinea-pig brain grey matter were incubated with [(32)P]ATP at 3mm concentration and the phosphate bound to the acid-washed, lipid-free residue was determined. 2. The binding process was Mg(2+)-dependent and resulted in the transfer of about 1-2 mmumoles of phosphate/mg. of protein/min. Under the conditions used univalent cations (Na(+),K(+) and Li(+)) inhibited the binding. 3. An unspecified proportion of this bound phosphate could be recovered in protein-derived phosphorylserine. The yield of labelled phosphorylserine was also decreased by univalent cations. 4. The bound phosphate formed with 3mm-MgATP was stable; addition of Na(+) or K(+) ions to the already labelled preparation had no effect on the bound phosphate level. 5. Bound phosphate was also formed when a solubilized fraction of the microsomes was incubated with ATP; univalent cations also inhibited this process. 6. p-Chloromercuribenzoate reduced the binding by about 25%; the inhibition was restored by cysteine.

Properties of phosphate bound to cerebral microsomes during adenosine-triphosphatase activity

1. Ox-brain microsomes were incubated with [gamma-(32)P]ATP under various conditions. After the reaction, which was stopped with trichloroacetic acid, a small amount of phosphate remained bound to the washed precipitate. 2. Properties of the bound phosphate were studied by treatment with buffers and solvents. 3. The Na(+)-dependent increment in bound phosphate, predominant at low ATP concentration and features of which suggest involvement in the concomitant adenosine-triphosphatase activity, was rapidly released in both circumstances. 4. In aqueous media the labile phosphate was released entirely as inorganic phosphate at faster rates with increasing alkalinity. 5. In acidified chloroform-alcohol mixtures the released phosphate appeared both as inorganic phosphate and different single (32)P-labelled organic phosphates, which were tentatively identified as the relevant mono-alkyl phosphates, presumably derived by acid-catalysed alcoholysis of a labelled microsomal component, or components. 6. The labile phosphate corresponded to the P exchangeable with non-radioactive ATP added during the enzyme reaction. 7. The possible molecular nature of the labile fraction of the bound phosphate is discussed.