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Lysis of cholinergic synaptosomes by an antiserum to choline acetyltransferase
Author(s) -
Docherty Maureen,
Bradford Henry,
Anderton Brian
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(82)80566-8
Subject(s) - choline acetyltransferase , citation , chemistry , medicine , library science , computer science , cholinergic
Synaptosomes have proved most useful in investigating the biochemistry of the synapse [l]. A major limitation in the use of synaptosomes from mammalian brain is the heterogeneity of the preparations with respect to transmitter type. An ability to discriminate between sub-populations of nerve-terminals would allow these sub-populations to be counted, and even separated in a manner that has been found possible for subclasses of lymphocytes 121. Elimination of a sub-population would allow greater certainty in attributing specific properties to a nerve-ending type (e.g., in studying pre-synaptic receptors [3]). Antisera to synaptosomes have been described which affect synaptosomal properties [4-81; however, only a few studies have used antisera seemingly capable of selectively affecting sub-populations of synaptosomes 19, lo]. Here, an antiserum to a purified choline acetyltransferase preparation, acting with complement, appeared to lyse cholinergic synaptosomes, while having no action on synaptosomes capable of taking up y-amino-butyric acid (GABA).