title: Presence of heterogeneous peroxisomal populations in the rat nervous tissue.
abstract: Peroxisomes were purified from the nervous tissue of 14-day-old rats by means of a Nycodenz gradient. Peroxisomal enzymes exhibited different sedimentation patterns: dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyl-transferase equilibrates at 1.142 g/ml together with the first peak of catalase; palmitoyl-CoA oxidase and D-amino acid oxidase activities are mainly recovered at 1.154 g/ml; the second peak of catalase is found at 1.175 g/ml. Morphological and semi-quantitative analyses of immunogold-labelled peroxisomes reveal profound heterogeneity of the particles. Very small (=0.2 microm diameter), electron dense vesicles containing catalase or thiolase, but devoid of other tested enzymes, are preferentially found in the light region, together with larger ( > 0.2 < 0.3 microm) and less electron dense palmitoyl-CoA oxidase-positive peroxisomes. At intermediate density (1.154 g/ml) peroxisomes of more uniform size (0.25-0.27 microm), containing palmitoyl-CoA oxidase or thiolase with or without catalase are preferentially found. This population extends toward the densest region of the gradient, where very large D-amino acid oxidase-containing peroxisomes are also found. In this region, smaller peroxisomes, often polymorphic, which are catalase- and thiolase-positive and D-amino acid oxidase/palmitoyl-CoA oxidase-negative, are also observed. The possibility that the heterogeneity of neural peroxisomes may reflect both cellular heterogeneity and ongoing peroxisomal biogenesis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, Coppito L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cimini
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farioli-Vecchioli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cristiano
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cerú
mesh_terms: D000101:Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008830:Microbodies / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D010088:Oxidoreductases; D002374:Catalase; C028427:palmitoyl CoA oxidase; D000101:Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase