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Isolation of Cellular Lipid Droplets: Two Purification Techniques Starting from Yeast Cells and Human Placentas
Published on: April 1, 2014
A single centrifugation method for isolating fat droplets from cells and tissues
Lydia-Ann L S Harris1, Trevor M Shew1, James R Skinner1
1Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
Abstract:
Fat droplets (FDs) have important roles in cellular energy regulation. Isolating FDs from either cells or tissue continues to be important for studying these organelles. Here, we describe a procedure wherein whole homogenates of cultured cells or tissue are fractionated with a single centrifugation step in a standard microcentrifuge. This procedure reproducibly yields three fractions highly enriched in either FDs, soluble cellular components, or sedimentable organelles/membranes.
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