Skip to main content
The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology logoLink to The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology
. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):639–652. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.639

CYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF MITOCHONDRIA

I. THE SEPARATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF A MEMBRANE FRACTION FROM ISOLATED MITOCHONDRIA

Michael L Watson 1, Philip Siekevitz 1
PMCID: PMC2224010  PMID: 13398435

Abstract

Mitochondria isolated from rat liver and suspended in 0.44 M sucrose were disrupted by treatment with 0.3 per cent Na deoxycholate. The treated suspension was fractionated by differential centrifugation into a number of fractions and the respective pellets were examined in sections in the electron microscope. One of these fractions was found to consist of apparently membrane-bound (vesicular) elements. The difference between interfaces and membranes was discussed and the material of this fraction was found to meet stated requirements identifying it as membranous. A detailed study of the disruption process undergone by mitochondria in the presence of Na deoxycholate showed that the elements of this fraction were derived from structural elements assumed to be mitochondrial membranes. The findings thus demonstrate that mitochondria do possess membranes as defined and that these membranes can be isolated in a relatively pure form.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.8 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. CLELAND K. W., SLATER E. C. Respiratory granules of heart muscle. Biochem J. 1953 Mar;53(4):547–556. doi: 10.1042/bj0530547. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. HOGEBOOM G. H., SCHNEIDER W. C. Sonic disintegration of isolated liver mitochondria. Nature. 1950 Aug 19;166(4216):302–303. doi: 10.1038/166302a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. NOVIKOFF A. B., BEAUFAY H., DE DUVE C. Electron microscopy of lysosomerich fractions from rat liver. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4 Suppl):179–184. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. PALADE G. E. An electron microscope study of the mitochondrial structure. J Histochem Cytochem. 1953 Jul;1(4):188–211. doi: 10.1177/1.4.188. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. PALADE G. E., PORTER K. R. Studies on the endoplasmic reticulum. I. Its identification in cells in situ. J Exp Med. 1954 Dec 1;100(6):641–656. doi: 10.1084/jem.100.6.641. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. PALADE G. E., SIEKEVITZ P. Liver microsomes; an integrated morphological and biochemical study. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Mar 25;2(2):171–200. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.2.171. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. PALADE G. E. Studies on the endoplasmic reticulum. II. Simple dispositions in cells in situ. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Nov 25;1(6):567–582. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.6.567. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. PALADE G. E. The fine structure of mitochondria. Anat Rec. 1952 Nov;114(3):427–451. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091140304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SIEKEVITZ P., WATSON M. L. Cytochemical studies of mitochondria. II. Enzymes associated with a mitochondrial membrane fraction. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):653–669. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.653. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SJOSTRAND F. S. Electron microscopy of mitochondria and cytoplasmic double membranes. Nature. 1953 Jan 3;171(4340):30–32. doi: 10.1038/171030a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. WATSON M. L. The use of carbon films to support tissue sections for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Mar;1(2):183–184. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.2.183. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. WITTER R. F., WATSON M. L., COTTONE M. A. Morphology and ATP-ase of isolated mitochondria. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Mar;1(2):127–138. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.2.127. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES