The post-synaptic density of human postmortem brain tissues: an experimental study paradigm for neuropsychiatric illnesses.

ABSTRACT: Recent molecular genetics studies have suggested various trans-synaptic processes for pathophysiologic mechanisms of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Examination of pre- and post-synaptic scaffolds in the brains of patients would greatly aid further investigation, yet such an approach in human postmortem tissue has yet to be tested. We have examined three methods using density gradient based purification of synaptosomes followed by detergent extraction (Method 1) and the pH based differential extraction of synaptic membranes (Methods 2 and 3). All three methods separated fractions from human postmortem brains that were highly enriched in typical PSD proteins, almost to the exclusion of pre-synaptic proteins. We examined these fractions using electron microscopy (EM) and verified the integrity o

SUBMITTER: Hahn CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2666803 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature