SEPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AMINES FROM INDIVIDUAL ATRIAL GLAND VESICLES OF APLYSIA-CALIFORNICA

Several amine-containing components of individual vesicles from the at rial gland of Aplysia californica were identified with capillary elect rophoresis (CE). On-line derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxa ldehyde was performed, and the derivatized amine-containing components were detected with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), Amino acids, inc luding taurine, that had not been determined previously in atrial glan d vesicles were observed by using CE-LIF, and their identities were co nfirmed with CE, HPLC, NMR, and electrospray ionization mass spectrome try, The finding that taurine is packaged and stored into secretory ve sicles supports the hypothesis that taurine may exhibit neuromodulator y activity. The bioactive peptides, well-known to be in atrial gland v esicles, were detected in lysed vesicle samples fractionated with HPLC and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of f light mass spectrometry, These peptides were also observed in single-v esicle runs with CE-LIF, The atrial gland vesicles (ranging from 0.5 t o 2 mu m diameter and 65 at to 4 fL volume, respectively) studied in t his work represent the smallest biological entities to be analyzed che mically on an individual basis.