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. 1972 Dec;130(3):825–832. doi: 10.1042/bj1300825

The ionogenic nature of the secretory-granule membrane. Electrokinetic properties of isolated chromaffin granules

E K Matthews 1, R J Evans 1, P M Dean 1
PMCID: PMC1174522  PMID: 4664936

Abstract

1. Chromaffin granules isolated from the bovine adrenal medulla possess an electrophoretic mobility of −1.12μm·s−1·cm·V−1, corresponding to a surface ζ potential of −14.4mV and surface charge density of 1.38×10−6C·cm−2. 2. The mobility of chromaffin granules is pH-dependent, indicating an amphoteric surface with an isoelectric point at pH3.0 and acidic groups with a pKa of 3.11. 3. Addition of bi- and ter-valent cations decreased the mobility of chromaffin granules in a dose-dependent fashion with a relative potency of La3+»Mn2+>Ca2+ >Sr2+>Mg2+>Ba2+. 4. Treatment with neuraminidase decreased the mobility of erythrocytes by 84%, whereas chromaffin-granule mobility was decreased by only 14%. This correlates well with the small complement of neuraminic acid present in the granule membrane. 5. The nature, origin and significance of the anionic surface charge of the chromaffin granule is discussed. It is concluded that the net negative charge at the surface of shear derives chiefly from a single type of chemical group, namely −CO2−, contributed by the α-carboxyl group of constituent proteins, the phospholipid phosphatidylserine and, to a lesser extent, the sialic acid component of glycoproteins.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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