Isolation of plasma membrane from human blood monocytes. Subcellular fractionation and marker distribution

The isolation of plasma membrane from human peripheral blood monocytes is described. Monocytes were isolated by centrifugal elutriation, to eliminate an adherence step, thus minimizing functional and surface antigenic alterations to the cells. Monocytes were surface-labelled with a radiolabelled monoclonal antibody, 125I-WVH-1, and then disrupted by nitrogen cavitation. Membranes were separated according to equilibrium buoyant density by isopycnic centrifugation on a sucrose gradient. The subcellular membranes were localized using marker enzymes for the plasma membrane, 5'-nucleotidase and leucine 2-naphthylamidase (leucine aminopeptidase), and for intracellular membranes: galactosyltransferase (Golgi), arylsulfatase C (endoplasmic reticulum), monoamine oxidase (mitochondria), catalase (peroxisomes), beta-hexosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase (lysosomal vesicles) and lactate dehydrogenase (cytosol). The monoclonal antibody 125I-WVH-1 was shown to label the plasma membrane, as judged by known markers, and represents a highly specific trace label, applicable to the use of plasma membrane as an immunogen for monoclonal antibody production. The NAD-splitting enzyme, NAD+ nucleosidase, was detected and its presence on the plasma membrane was demonstrated. The subcellular localization of non-specific esterase in human mononuclear phagocytes is controversial. No evidence was found for alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity on the plasma membrane or in lysosomal vesicles. However, a membrane-bound esterase in fractions with properties similar to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum was detected.     

Preparation and characterization of plasma membrane vesicles from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

It would be advantageous to prepare models of the neutrophil plasma membrane in order to examine the role of the plasma membrane in transmembrane signal transduction in the human neutrophil and to dissect ligand-receptor interactions and structural changes in the cell surface upon stimulation. A number of investigators have prepared neutrophil membrane vesicles by homogenization, sonication, or centrifugation--techniques that can result in the loss of substantial amounts of surface membrane material, disruption of lysosomes causing proteolysis of membrane proteins, and contamination of the plasma membrane fraction by internal membranes. These limitations have been overcome in the present studies by employing a modification of the method previously developed in this laboratory. Human neutrophils were suspended in a buffer simulating cytoplasmic ionic and osmotic conditions and disrupted by nitrogen cavitation. The resultant cavitate was freed of undisrupted cells and nuclei and then centrifuged through discontinuous isotonic/isoosmotic Percoll gradients, which resolved four fractions: alpha (intact azurophilic granules), beta (intact specific granules), gamma (membrane vesicles), and delta (cytosol). The gamma fraction was highly enriched in alkaline phosphatase, a marker of the plasma membrane. In addition, this fraction contained less than 5% of the amounts of lysosomes (indicated by lysozyme activity) and nuclei (indicated by DNA content) found in intact cells or in unfractionated cavitate. Furthermore, the gamma fraction contained less than 10% of the levels of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondrial, and lysosomal membranes in cells or cavitates, as determined by assays for glucose 6-phosphatase, galactosyl transferase, monoamine oxidase, and Mo1 (CD11b/CD18; Mac-1), respectively. Finally, 75% of the membrane vesicles were sealed, as indicated by assay of ouabain-sensitive (Na+,K+) ATPase activity, and 55% were oriented right-side-out, as determined by exposure of concanavalin A (ConA) receptors and sialic acid residues on the surfaces of the vesicles. These heterogeneous preparations could be enriched for right-side-out vesicles by their selective adherence to ConA-coated plates and subsequent detachment by rinsing the surfaces of the plates with alpha-methylmannoside. This enrichment protocol did not affect the integrity of the vesicles and resulted in populations in which greater than 85% of the vesicles were oriented right-side-out. This procedure thus permits the preparation of sealed, right-side-out membrane vesicles that may be used as valid experimental models of the neutrophil plasma membrane in a variety of functional studies.     

Boar sperm cytoplasmic droplets: Their ultrastructure,their numbers in the epididymis and at ejaculation and their removal during isolation of sperm plasma membranes

Cytoplasmic droplets of the boar are progressively lost from the flagellum of boar spermatozoa during epididymal transit, at ejaculation and during the nitrogen cavitation technique for isolation of plasma membranes. Apparently very fragile, these structures are broken up in the fluids of the reproductive tract and in the buffer used during the nitrogen cavitation procedure. The maximal potential contamination of cytoplasmic droplet internal vesicular membranes in plasma membrane fractions was determined to be 2.2% of the entire membrane surface area collected. The highly sensitive silver-stained, two-dimensional (2-D) polyacrylamide (PAGE) gels of boar sperm plasma membranes did not reveal cytoplasmic droplet, internal membrane, marker polypeptides, further demonstrating the high purity of plasma membrane preparations. In addition, freeze-fracture demonstrates that the internal membranes of the cytoplasmic droplet show few intramembranous particles and these may contribute little protein to plasma membrane preparations. The presence of two forms of vesicular elements in boar sperm Cytoplasmic droplets (typical vesicles and collapsed vesicles) is described.     

Isolation and partial characterization of the plasma membrane from human spermatozoa

Ejaculated human spermatozoa were subjected to nitrogen cavitation (600 psi for ten min) to remove the plasma membrane (PM). Electron microscopic examination of the cavitated cells revealed that 33% of the PM was removed from the sperm which includes both the head and tail regions. The released membrane was separated from the cavitated cells by centrifugation followed by a discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation. A single membrane population was resolved at the 1.0 M sucrose interface. Examination of the isolated membranes by electron microscopy revealed vesicles of various sizes displaying unit membrane structures. Biochemical analysis of the isolated membranes showed a threefold enrichment in the surface membrane marker 5' nucleotidase and also suggested little contamination by enzymes from the cytosol (lactate dehydrogenase) or mitochondria (cytochrome oxidase). Analytical lipid analysis of the isolated membranes revealed a 26-fold enrichment in the distribution of cholesterol, an 11-fold enrichment of phospholipids, and a cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio of 0.83. Also found was a twofold increase in glycosphingolipids which are ubiquitous components of PM in eukaryotic cells. These data indicate that the membrane vesicles isolated after nitrogen cavitation are primarily PM.     

Rat liver canalicular membrane vesicles. Isolation and topological characterization

Canalicular plasma membranes were isolated from rat liver homogenates using nitrogen cavitation and calcium precipitation methods. Compared with homogenates, the membranes were enriched 55- to 56-fold in gamma-glutamyltransferase, aminopeptidase M, and alkaline phosphatase activities and showed very low enrichment in markers of other membranes. By electron microscopy, the membrane preparation contained neither junctional complexes nor contaminating organelles and consisted exclusively of vesicles. The presence of vesicles was also evident from the osmotic sensitivity of D-[6-3H]glucose uptake into the membrane preparation. Antisera obtained from rabbits immunized with highly purified rat kidney gamma-glutamyltransferase inhibited the transferase activity of intact or Triton X-100-solubilized membranes by 45-55%. Treatment of vesicles with anti-gamma-glutamyltransferase antisera and anti-rabbit IgG antisera increased the apparent density of the membranes during sucrose density gradient centrifugation. gamma-Glutamyltransferase and aminopeptidase M activities were selectively removed from the vesicles by limited proteolysis with papain without changing the intravesicular space or alkaline phosphatase activity of the membranes. Specific binding of anti-gamma-glutamyltransferase antibody to the outer surface of isolated hepatocytes was observed as measured by the antisera and 125I-labeled protein A; binding followed saturation kinetics with respect to antibody concentration. These data indicate that the isolated canalicular membrane vesicles are exclusively oriented right-side-out and that gamma-glutamyltransferase and aminopeptidase M are located on the luminal side of rat liver canalicular plasma membranes.     

Purification and partial characterization of plasma membranes from bovine spermatozoa

Bovine epididymal spermatozoa were subjected to nitrogen cavitation (600 psi for 10 min) to remove plasma membrane. Examination of the cavitated cells by electron microscopy revealed that the plasma membrane was preferentially removed from the periacrosomal and flagellar regions. Nuclear, mitochondrial and acrosomal membranes remained intact and attached to the spermatozoa, but the cytoplasmic droplets were frequently disrupted and their internal membrane-bound vesicles were released. Lower pressures (less than 200 psi) were relatively ineffective in removing the periacrosomal plasma membrane, while an intermediate pressure (400 psi) removed this membrane from about 70% of the spermatozoa. No apparent selectivity for removal of the periacrosomal and flagellar plasma membrane was observed as a function of cavitation pressure. The cavitated cells were separated from the plasma membranes by differential followed by linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Two distinct membrane populations were resolved on sucrose gradients and were designated Band I and Band II. Band I contained only spherical vesicles which arose from the plasma membrane. Surface labeling of intact cells confirmed the plasma membrane as the origin of Band I. The membranes of higher density comprising Band II were heterogeneous consisting of both spherical and flattened vesicles. When purified cytoplasmic droplets were cavitated and centrifuged on the sucrose gradient only Band II was obtained. These studies indicate that nitrogen cavitation of bovine epididymal spermatozoa can result in significant contamination of plasma membrane fractions by cytoplasmic droplet membranes unless appropriate differential centrifugation is used to separate the membrane fractions.     

Ion channels in boar sperm plasma membranes: characterization of a cation selective channel.

Plasma membranes isolated from cauda epididymal and ejaculated boar sperm were inserted into planar lipid bilayers and examined for the presence of ion channels. Channel fusion was frequently observed; the most prominent was a nonselective cation channel which conducted K, Na, Cs, Ca, and Ba. Channel opening did not show a strict dependence on voltage but was partially blocked by verapamil, nitrendipine, and ruthenium red. A channel with these characteristics was observed when plasma membranes were isolated by high-pressure nitrogen cavitation (650 psi, 78% sperm head plasma membranes) or at very low nitrogen pressures (50 psi, 90% sperm head plasma membranes), suggesting that this channel may be present in the plasma membrane overlying the sperm head.     

Magnetic bead isolation of neutrophil plasma membranes and quantification of membrane-associated guanine nucleotide binding proteins

A protocol for isolation of neutrophil plasma membranes utilizing a plasma membrane marker antibody, anti-CD15, attached to superparamagnetic beads was developed. Cells were initially disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and then incubated with anti-CD15 antibody-conjugated superparamagnetic beads. The beads were then washed to remove unbound cellular debris and cytosol. Recovered plasma membranes were quantified by immunodetection of G(beta2) in Western blots. This membrane marker-based separation yielded highly pure plasma membranes. This protocol has advantages over standard density sedimentation protocols for isolating plasma membrane in that it is faster and easily accommodates cell numbers as low as 10(6). These methods were coupled with immunodetection methods and an adenosine 5(')-diphosphate-ribosylation assay to measure the amount of membrane-associated G(ialpha) proteins available for receptor coupling in neutrophils either stimulated with N-formyl peptides or treated to differing degrees with pertussis toxin. As expected, pertussis toxin treatment decreased the amount of membrane G protein available for signaling although total membrane G protein was not affected. In addition, activation of neutrophils with N-formyl peptides resulted in an approximately 50% decrease in G protein associated with the plasma membrane.     

Preparation of Secretory Vesicle-Free Plasma Membranes by Isopycnic Sucrose Gradient Fractionation of Neutrophils Purified by the Gelatin Method

Isolated human neutrophils serve as a model for the in vitro study of host defensive processes as well as the cell biology and biochemistry of primary human cells. We demonstrate that the requirements of the gelatinbased procedure for neutrophil isolation from whole blood induces the complete loss of secretory vesicles from in vitro isolated populations, whereas isolation by a dextran-based methodology results in the preservation of this organelle. Following density fractionation of cellular cavitates, examination of commonly employed plasma membrane marker activities yielded subcellular localization patterns that were indistinguishable between dextran- or gelatin-isolated populations, indicating both populations to be otherwise comparable in terms of the relative complexity and large-scale organization of plasma membranes. Given that the cell surface upregulation of secretory vesicles is implicated as an initial requirement of neutrophil activation as well as an intrinsic feature of neutrophil priming, we show that dextran and gelatin-isolated neutrophils may be considered to occupy functionally nonactivated and primed cellular states, respectively. These differences in phenotype can be exploited in specific ways. We suggest that the gelatin method has technical advantages with regard to the study of neutrophil plasma membranes. In particular, results from this study indicate the gelatin method to be a reliable and effective preparatory technique appropriate for tandem use with density fractionation procedures to achieve rapid isolation of plasma membranes that are uncontaminated by secretory organelles.     

Separation of human neutrophil plasma membrane from intracellular vesicles containing alkaline phosphatase and NADPH oxidase activity by free flow electrophoresis.

A putative reservoir of functional plasma membrane proteins, the secretory vesicle identified by latent alkaline phosphatase and tetranectin, has previously been demonstrated based on indirect evidence (Borregaard, N., Miller, L. J., and Springer, T. A. (1987) Science 237, 1204-1206; Borregaard, N., Christensen, L., Bjerrum, O. W., Birgens, H. S., and Clemmesen, I. (1990) J. Clin. Invest. 85, 408-416). Difficulties in separating plasma membranes from this entity by density gradient centrifugation has prohibited discriminative dynamic and quantitative studies of secretory vesicles and plasma membranes. By combining density centrifugation with free flow electrophoresis we overcame this obstacle. Freshly prepared unperturbed human neutrophils were subjected to nitrogen cavitation followed by density centrifugation on Percoll gradients. Light membrane fractions containing plasma membranes and secretory vesicles were applied to high voltage free flow electrophoresis on an Elphor VaP 22. Plasma membrane vesicles, identified by HLA class I antigen mixed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Bjerrum, O. W., and Borregaard, N. (1990) Scand. J. Immunol. 31, 305-313) and 125I applied to cells before cavitation, were clearly separated from secretory vesicles. Electron microscopy revealed a morphology typical of plasma membranes in the former fraction and a population of vesicles with markedly different appearance in the latter. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiles demonstrated distinct differences in protein patterns between the two fractions. Superoxide generating capacity induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate and cytosol, an entity traditionally ascribed to the plasma membrane, was largely confined to fractions containing secretory vesicles. Thus, the majority of membrane-bound NADPH oxidase components of light membranes of human neutrophils colocalize with secretory vesicles.     

Isolation of plasma membrane and tonoplast fractions from spinach leaves by preparative free-flow electrophoresis and effect of photoinduction

A membrane fraction enriched in plasma membrane and tonoplast vesicles was isolated from green leaves of Spinacia oleracea L. and subjected to subfractionation by free-flow electrophoresis. The most electronegative membrane vesicle fraction collected after the free-flow electrophoretic separation was identified as derived from tonoplast, while the least electronegative fraction was identified as derived from plasma membrane. The identification of the fractions was based on membrane morphology, and on the presence or absence of biochemical markers. The plasma membrane fraction was enriched in thick (9–11 nm) membranes which bound N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), and reacted with phosphotungstic acid at low pH on thin sections for electron microscopy. The tonoplast fraction was enriched in vesicles with 7–9 nm thick membranes that neither bound NPA nor reacted with phosphotungstic acid at low pH. Both the plasma membrane and the tonoplast fraction were about 90% pure, with a cross-contamination of not more than 2%. Membrane vesicles originating from dictyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, plastids, or peroxisomes contaminated the plasma membrane and the tonoplast fractions by a few % only. In leaves of photoinduced plants (24 h light period), the plasma membranes were thicker than in control leaves (8 h light, 16 h dark). The plasma membrane fraction obtained from photo-induced leaves by free-flow electrophoresis retained this increase in thickness, showing not only that photoinduction alters plasma membrane structure, but also that this change is stable to isolation.     

Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle

An improved procedure was developed for the isolation of skeletal muscle plasma membranes. This method includes a DNAse treatment of the homogenate prior to the isolation of membranes by differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation techniques. We obtained two light fractions which were highly enriched in many biochemical and chemical plasma membrane markers. These fractions were shown to be mostly inside-out vesicles containing a Ca2+-ATPase activity. These results suggested that this enzyme could participate in the extrusion of calcium ions from the muscle cells.     

Isolation and characterization of Neurospora crassa plasma membranes.

The isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from a cell wall-less mutant of Neurospora crassa are described. The plasma membranes are stabilized against fragmentation and vesiculation by treatment of intact cells with concanavalin A just prior to lysis. After lysis, the concanavalin A-stabilized plasma membrane ghosts are isolated by low speed centrifugation techniques and the purified ghosts subsequently converted to vesicles by removal of the bulk of the concanavalin A. The yield of ghosts is about 50% whereas the yield of vesicles is about 20%. The isolated plasma membrane vesicles have a characteristically high sterol to phospholipid ratio, Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity and (Na+ plus K+)-stimulated Mg2+ATPase activity. Only traces of succinate dehydrogenase and 5'-nucleotidase are present in the plasma membrane preparations.     

Isolation of apical plasma membrane in rabbit gallbladder epithelium by Percoll density gradient centrifugation

The apical membranes of rabbit gallbladder epithelial cells were isolated by treating the homogenate with Ca2+ or Mg2+ and centrifuging the suspension in Percoll gradient. In this way brush-border membranes were obtained with enrichment factors ranging between 10 and 20 and yields of 15-30%. A second method is described with which membranes were isolated, without any preliminary treatment, first by differential centrifugation, then with Percoll gradient; the final membrane enrichment was over 15, however the yield was very low (3%). Many possible enzymatic markers of the apical plasma membrane were investigated: L-gamma-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, sucrase. The first appears to be that of choice. Apical membrane fraction could be also evidenced by autofluorescence or by labeling with Lotus tetragonolobus lectin. Preliminary experiments showed that apical plasma membranes isolated in this way form vesicles.     

Isolation of the plasma membrane from sea urchin embryos.

A method for isolation of sea urchin embryos plasma membranes is described. Purification of the obtained fraction was assayed by several enzymatic markers and electron microscopy. The isolated plasma membranes appear to be pure from contamination of other cell membranes (endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria), and they can therefore be used for analytical studies on the composition and structure of plasma membrane.     

Large scale, analytical method for isolating basal lateral plasma membranes from rat duodenum.

A procedure is described for obtaining large amounts of basal lateral plasma membranes from the rat duodenal epithelium. The yield is approximately 50%, and the purification factor is 18; preparations from 25 rats routinely contain 100 mg of protein. The procedure depends on mild homogenization with a nitrogen cavitation bomb, followed by removal of brush borders by sedimentation in a weak centrifugal field. Basal lateral membranes in the resulting supernatant are partially purified by differential centrifugation in a medium which approximates their equilibrium density, and then further purified by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation in a high capacity zonal rotor. Brush border membranes may be isolated from the 450 x g pellet. Since both brush border and basal lateral membranes may be isolated from the same homogenate, this preparative procedure is suitable for such analytical purposes as determinations of distribution of enzyme activities between the two surfaces of the epithelium. The large scale of the isolation procedure makes it an appropriate starting point for purification of specific basal lateral membrane components.     

Spontaneous and detergent-induced vesiculation of thymocyte plasma membranes

An analog of lysophosphatidylcholine (1-dodecyl-propanediol-3-phosphocholine) which does not impair membrane-bound enzymes was used for the induction of shedding of membrane vesicles from intact calf thymocytes. Without liberation of intracellular enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) the shedded membranes contained 15--25% of the total activity of the plasma membrane enzymes alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1), nucleotide pyrophosphatase (EC 3.1.4.1) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (EC 2.3.2.2). Membrane-free supernatants only exhibited trace activities of these enzymes. Without further purification, the specific enzyme activities in shedded membranes were of the same order of magnitude as in purified plasma membranes prepared after nitrogen cavitation of thymocytes. Small amounts of membrane vesicles which showed a different composition could be removed without detergent. These membranes exhibited a 3-fold lower specific activity of the gamma-glutamyl transferase while that of the alkaline phosphatase and nucleotide pyrophosphatase was similar as in detergent induced membrane vesicles. Distinct differences also were found in the protein pattern. The content of total cholesterol and phospholipid in vesicles shed spontaneously or after detergent treatment was nearly identical, however, significant differences were found in the fatty acid composition of the main phospholipids. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and arachidonic acid) increased in the order: spontaneously shedded membranes, detergent induced vesicles, conventional purified plasma membranes. These results are discussed in terms of the heterogeneous composition of areas of the thymocyte plasma membrane.     

Isolation of domains of the plasma membrane of hepatocytes

Several recent studies have demonstrated the ability of techniques based on immunoadsorption to selectively isolate specialized subregions of membranes, termed domains, which are derived from a larger more complex parent membrane like the plasma membrane. The immunoadsorbent is directed against a specific antigen that resides exclusively or predominantly in the membrane domain to be isolated. Thus, a monospecific antibody to the domain-specific antigen is required. In the present study we developed a method employing a modified immunoblotting strategy which could utilize polyspecific antibodies to isolate membrane vesicles derived from a specific membrane domain of the hepatocyte plasma membrane. We also used specific cell surface labeling of the hepatocyte plasma membrane by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination at 4 degrees C and preparation of different sized vesicles by sonication to facilitate isolation of the specific domain. For this study, polyspecific antisera were raised in goats against a membrane fraction, denoted N2u, which is enriched in bile canalicular proteins. This antiserum recognizes, among other antigens, a 110,000 Mr polypeptide previously shown to be localized in the bile canaliculus (J. Cook et al. (1983) J. Cell. Biol. 97, 1823-1833). A monospecific antiserum was raised in rabbits against the rat hepatocyte asialoglycoprotein receptor, a sinusoidal domain-specific set of glycoproteins whose major form has a Mr of 43,000. These antisera were each coupled indirectly to different pieces of nitrocellulose by the immunoblotting protocol and were used to isolate membrane vesicles from a crude extract of liver plasma membrane prepared by sonication. The ratio of iodinated asialoglycoprotein receptor to the 110,000 Mr polypeptide in vesicles isolated by the affinity nitrocellulose immunoadsorbent method indicate a 10- to 15-fold enrichment of sinusoidal-derived vesicles relative to bile canalicular-derived membrane vesicles. These results show that the affinity nitrocellulose immunoadsorbent method can be used to isolate domain-specific vesicles. Further, the affinity immunoadsorbent method described here for the isolation of domains of the plasma membrane is an integrative one allowing isolation of vesicles present in relatively small concentration in crude cell extracts and it requires minimal ultracentrifugation time.     

Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from krebs II ascite cells using Percoll gradient

1. Plasma membranes were isolated from Krebs II ascite cells grown in the mouse. Cells were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation in an isotonic alkaline buffer containing magnesium and ATP. Isolation was performed in an alkaline-buffered self-generating gradient of Percoll with an angular rotor. At each step of the preparation, the pH appeared as the critical aspect of our procedure. 2. External membrane markers were concanavalin A and 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5). They reached a relative specific activity of 10, whereas this value was only of 0.7 for the endoplasmic reticulum marker, NADH dehydrogenase (EC 1.6.99.3). 3. Plasma membrane from 4 ml packed cells were isolated within 1 h after homogenization with good yield: 50% and 67% of total [3H]concanavalin A and 5'-nucleotidase, respectively, were recovered in the two plasma membrane fractions. 4. Electron microscopy examination showed the presence of vesicles of different sizes devoid of other structural contaminants. 5. Using the specific binding of concanavalin A to the external cell membrane, it was calculated that about 50% of the total cell phospholipid and 10% protein are located in the plasma membrane. Their sphingomyelin content is much higher than in the whole cell, in contrast to phosphatidylinositol, known as a more specific endoplasmic reticulum phospholipid.     

Isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland by two-phase polymer partitioning

An aqueous polymer two phase partition method was adapted for isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland of lactating rats. Plasma membranes isolated by this method were enriched 23-fold in activity of the plasma membrane marker phosphodiesterase I and were depleted, relative to homogenates, in activities of enzymes which are markers for intracellular organelles and endomembranes. Yields of plasma membranes obtained by this method were 0.3 +/- 0.1 mg protein/g wet tissue weight. Plasma membranes were isolated more rapidly and yields were more consistent than those obtained with density gradient centrifugation methods which have been applied for isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland.