PROTEIN-COMPONENTS OF A RAT-BRAIN SYNAPTIC JUNCTIONAL PROTEIN PREPARATION

Antisera against a rat brain synaptic protein preparation, the postsyn aptic density (PSD) fraction, were used to isolate cDNA clones by expr ession screening of a rat brain cDNA library. About one fifth of more than 200 analyzed cDNAs encoding potential synapse-associated proteins were previously unknown. Identifiable proteins include, among others, components of the pre- and postsynaptic cytoskeleton, synaptic vesicl e proteins and several protein kinases and kinase substrates. This dem onstrates that both pre- and postsynaptic elements purify with the PSD fraction.