title: Isolation of melanosomes.
abstract: The methods used to purify early and late melanosomes are detailed. These methods include the use of highly pigmented cells to maximize recovery and the use of various sucrose density gradients to separate melanosome fractions based on their density (which is determined in large part by the amount of dense melanin pigment that they contain). Early melanosomes lacking pigment must be further purified using free-flow electrophoresis.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: Tsuneto
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kushimoto
authors.forename: Julio C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Hearing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins