- Title
- Synaptosome preparations: Which procedure should I use?
- Creator
- Dunkley, Peter R.; Robinson, Phillip J.
- Relation
- Neuromethods p. 27-53
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8739-9_3
- Publisher
- Humana Press
- Resource Type
- book chapter
- Date
- 2018
- Description
- One of the most extensively used model systems to investigate the functions and the chemical control of the nerve terminal has been the synaptosome. Synaptosomes are pinched-off nerve endings that form by shearing forces during homogenization of neuronal tissue. Depending on the aim of the study, synaptosomes can be used once they are formed within the whole neuronal tissue homogenate, or they can be separated from other subcellular organelles and enriched to various extents, depending on the fractionation procedures adopted. Each procedure varies in the time that it takes and provides synaptosomes with different levels of homogeneity and viability. The major contaminants of synaptosomes that remain after fractionation include neuronal and glial plasma membranes, attached postsynaptic membranes and densities, microsomes, synaptic vesicles, and extra-synaptosomal mitochondria. This chapter documents the most commonly used procedures for making synaptosomes, indicates the most likely contaminants present after each procedure, and assesses the viability of the resulting synaptosomes. This provides researchers with a decision tool to determine which synaptosome preparation procedure best suits the aims of their study.
- Subject
- synaptosomes; formation; fractionation; homogeneity; viability
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1441312
- Identifier
- uon:41385
- Identifier
- ISBN:9781493987399
- Language
- eng
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