For decades, neuroscientists have used enriched preparations of synaptic particles called synaptosomes to study synapse function. However, the interpretation of corresponding data is problematic as synaptosome preparations contain multiple types of synapses and non-synaptic neuronal and glial contaminants. We established a novel Fluorescence Activated Synaptosome Sorting (FASS) method that substantially improves conventional synaptosome enrichment protocols and enables high-resolution biochemical analyses of specific synapse subpopulations. Employing knock-in mice with fluorescent glutamatergic synapses, we show that FASS isolates intact ultrapure synaptosomes composed of a resealed presynaptic terminal and a postsynaptic density as assessed by light and electron microscopy. FASS synaptosomes contain bona fide glutamatergic synapse proteins but are almost devoid of other synapse types and extrasynaptic or glial contaminants. We identified 163 enriched proteins in FASS samples, of which FXYD6 and Tpd52 were validated as new synaptic proteins. FASS purification thus enables high-resolution biochemical analyses of specific synapse subpopulations in health and disease.
Pubmed ID: 24413018 RIS Download
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A software package and server used to identify and characterize proteins from primary sequence databases using mass spectrometry data. Mascot integrates peptide mass fingerprinting, sequence querying, and MS/MS ion searching in order to search for proteins in databases like SwissProt, NCBInr, EMBL EST divisions, contaminants, and cRAP. If a license is purchased, users may: search data sets that exceed the 1200 spectrum limit of the free version; set up automated, high throughput work; add and edit proteins and quantification methods; and search a preferred collection of sequence databases. The software package works with instruments from AB Sciex, Agilent, Bruker, Jeol, Shimadzu, Thermo Scientific, and Waters.
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