Characterization of two distinct populations of detergent resistant membrane complexes isolated from chick brain tissues.

ABSTRACT

We report the isolation of two distinct populations of detergent resistant membrane complexes (DRMCs) from 1-day-old chick brain, utilizing a procedure involving Triton X-100 insolubility and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The first population is abundant (1.8% of the total homogenate protein), highly enriched for two glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (Thy-1 and AvGp50), and not enriched for caveolin. The second population is of relatively low abundance (0.2% of the total homogenate), contains relatively low levels of Thy-1 and AvGp50 enrichment, and is highly enriched in caveolin. Both populations of DRMCs are enriched for cholesterol, ganglioside GM1, total kinase and tyrosine kinase activities, and c-Src and c-Fyn. However, there are differences in the Coomassie-stained protein profiles, phosphoprotein components, tyrosine kinase activity, and electron microscopic morphology when the Thy-1 and AvGp50-enriched DRMCs are compared to the caveolin-rich DRMCs. In addition, the GPI-enriched DRMCs contain CaM kinase type II immunoreactivity, whereas this molecule was undectable in the caveolin-rich DRMCs. The isolation of two distinct DRMC fractions may be representative of unique plasma membrane signaling domains involved in GPI-anchored protein or other receptor-mediated signal transduction within the avian nervous system. Further, we have demonstrated for the first time that nervous system tissue, in particular the hatch chick cerebellum, contains caveolin immunoreactivity.