title: Beta-dystroglycan: subcellular localisation in rat brain and detection of a novel immunologically related, postsynaptic density-enriched protein.
abstract: The distribution of a glycoprotein component of the muscle dystrophin complex, beta-dystroglycan, has been determined in subcellular fractions of adult rat forebrain. The results show that beta-dystroglycan is enriched in several membrane fractions, including synaptic membranes, but in marked contrast to dystrophin is not detectable in the postsynaptic density fraction. The antiserum also recognises a second molecular species of apparent molecular mass of 164 kDa which is highly enriched in the postsynaptic density fraction. Preabsorption of the antiserum with the antigen (a 22-mer peptide corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle beta-dystroglycan) abolished reactivity against both beta-dystroglycan and the 164-kDa postsynaptic density-enriched protein, confirming that the two species are immunologically related. Enzymatic removal of N-linked oligosaccharide lowered the apparent molecular mass of beta-dystroglycan by 3 kDa but did not alter the mass of the 164-kDa species.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of London, Egham, Surrey, England.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mummery
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sessay
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Beesley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D049030:Dystroglycans; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000737:chemistry; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D016189:Dystrophin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D049030:Dystroglycans