Analysis of vertebrate gap junction protein.

A new method for the purification of gap junctions is described which depends on the extraction of cell monolayers or tissue homogenates with Triton X-100. The major band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of junctional preparations from a variety of vertebrate sources has an apparent mol. wt. of 16,000 (16 K). Further evidence for the junctional origin of the 16 K protein is provided by the results of four different experimental approaches. (i) The junctions form a sharp band in potassium iodide density gradients at 1.195 g/cm3 and the 16 K protein is the only detectable band in fractions of this bouyant density. (ii) The junctions are progressively solubilised by increasing concentrations of SDS (in the range 0.1-0.5%) and the dissolution of the junctional structure, observed by electron microscopy, parallels the release of the 16 K protein. (iii) Glutaraldehyde fixation of intact junctions cross-links the 16 K protein. (iv) The recoverable amount of the 16 K protein correlates with known changes in gap junctional area in the regenerating weanling rat liver after partial hepatectomy and in V79 cell cultures exposed to 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate.