title: Structural organization of filamentous proteins in postsynaptic density.
abstract: Actin is one of the major protein constituents of the postsynaptic density (PSD), a characteristic structural entity subjacent to the postsynaptic membrane in excitatory synapses of the vertebrate central nervous system. In isolated purified PSD preparations, it is present to the extent of 29 +/- 2 micrograms/mg of total protein, 90% of which is in the filamentous (F-actin) form. Iodination by a discriminatory labeling technique demonstrates that actin is located on the surface of the PSD from which it can be stripped by treatment with a mixture of strong anionic detergents, leaving behind an insoluble core held together by disulfide bridges, consisting in part of tubulin and "PSD protein".
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds