title: Myelin isolation: comparison of sedimentation and flotation techniques.
abstract: Brains from young (20 day old) and adult rats were used to compare myelin yields obtained by sedimentation and flotation techniques. The flotation method consistently gave approx 70% higher yields of myelin than the sedimentation method. Both myelin preparations have virtually identical protein composition as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Electrophoretic analysis revealed substantial concentrations of myelin proteins in the non-myelin particulate fraction obtained by the sedimentation but not by the flotation method. The study indicates that the paradigm of the sedimentation method results in a significant loss of myelin during isolation, and that this loss can be avoided or minimized by employing the flotation method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown 26505.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Royland
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wiggins
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Konat
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient / Q000379:methods; D002501:Centrifugation, Zonal / Q000379:methods; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D009185:Myelin Proteins