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CEREBROSIDE MAY BE FALSELY IDENTIFIED AS A SOLUBLE ‘BRAIN SPECIFIC PROTEIN’
Author(s) -
Tremblay J.,
Simon M.,
Barondes S. H.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1974.tb04360.x
Subject(s) - sephadex , precipitin , pronase , galactocerebroside , antigen , antigenicity , immunodiffusion , biochemistry , cerebroside , fraction (chemistry) , antibody , chromatography , chemistry , biology , myelin , spleen , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , endocrinology , central nervous system , trypsin , oligodendrocyte , enzyme
—Injection of a soluble protein fraction from mouse brain into rabbits gave rise to an antibody which was specific for galactocerebroside. The antigen had the following characteristics: (1) it was present in the soluble fraction of a mouse brain homogenate but absent from the soluble fraction of homogenates of mouse liver, spleen, kidney and testis; (2) it was non‐dialysable; (3) it voided from a Sephadex G200 column; (4) on immunodiffusion with antibody directed against it, it gave a sharp single precipitin band; (5) it bound to DEAE cellulose column and was eluted with high salt. Given these characteristics the antigen might have been identified as a ‘brain specific protein’. However, the lipid nature of the antigen was revealed when it was found that it was not destroyed by Pronase digestion and could be quantitatively extracted with chloroform‐methanol. The antigen has been identified as a galaetocerebroside and is 100 times more abundant in the myelin fraction than in the soluble fraction of the mouse brain homogenates. The antigen could have been falsely identified as a ‘brain specific protein’ if the antigenicity and macromolecular behaviour of lipids was overlooked.