STABILITY OF SOLUBILIZED BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTORS

According to the observations of other researchers, benzodiazepine rec eptors solubilized with sodium deoxycholate are unstable, but stabilit y can be improved by exchanging deoxycholate for Triton X-100. In our experiments we conclude that the choice of detergent is not the restri ctive factor for the stability of the solubilized receptors, but the s torage conditions are. Solubilized receptors, either stored in sodium deoxycholate or in Triton X-100, were stable for at least 2 months whe n stored at -80 degrees C, but both preparations were strongly unstabl e when stored at -20 degrees C. Alternatively, sodium deoxycholate-sol ubilized receptors may be lyophilized and then stored at -20 degrees C .