Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
Published on: September 3, 2014
The subpopulation of brain coated vesicles that carries synaptic vesicle proteins contains two unique polypeptides
Abstract:
Coated vesicles have been purified in the past on the basis of their remarkably homogeneous structure, not their function. We have succeeded in isolating two subpopulations of bovine brain coated vesicles that carry specific "cargoes," in this case two synaptic vesicle membrane polypeptides (Mr = 95,000 and 65,000). Monoclonal antibodies that recognize cytoplasmic domains of these polypeptides can penetrate the clathrin coat and recognize them on the outer surface of the coated vesicle membrane. An immunoadsorption technique could therefore be used to fractionate coated vesicles on the basis of their membrane composition. The subpopulations have the normal complement of conventional coated vesicle proteins. Exclusive, however, to the subpopulations that carry synaptic vesicle polypeptides are two new coated vesicle polypeptides (Mr = 38,000 and 29,000).
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
COP Coated Vesicles
Coat Assembly and GTPases
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Vesicular Tubular Clusters
With the help of motor proteins such...
Clathrin Coated Vesicles

