COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF ADULT AND FETAL HUMAN SMALL-INTESTINAL MICROVILLI

The aim was to study the development of human small intestinal microvi llus membranes. We compared the protein patterns of human fetal and ad ult small intestinal microvillus membranes using the high-resolution t echnique of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . We also examined the synthesis of brush border membrane proteins fro m the adult small intestine using small intestinal biopsy organ cultur e S-35-methionine uptake and subsequent gel electrophoresis. We observ ed that the fetal and colonic microvillus membranes were similar, but differed in certain respects from adult small intestinal microvillus m embranes. The jejunal biopsy organ culture revealed that synthesised b rush border membrane proteins could be recognized by gel electrophores is.