Electron Microscopic and Biochemical Characteristics of Nuclei and Nucleoli Isolated from Rat Liver

Rat liver nuclei were freed of cytoplasmic contamination by washing with Triton-X-100 and subsequent centrifugation through 2.2 M sucrose. Electron microscopic examination showed that the outer membranes of the nuclei had been removed, but that the nuclei otherwise resembled the nuclei of intact liver. Morphological studies, chemical estimations of DNA, RNA, and protein and the estimation of cytoplasmic "marker" enzymes suggested that contamination of nuclei by cytoplasmic components was limited. These nuclei were obtained in yields of about 70% and were suitable for the isolation of nucleoli. Nucleoli were isolated by the breaking of the nuclei by ultrasound and subsequent differential centrifugation. In ultrastructural appearance, the isolated nucleoli resembled nucleoli in intact tissue. However, at high magnifications the "granular" component of isolated nucleoli appeared to consist of tightly twisted fibers. The nucleoli could be obtained in yields of at least 30%, and the values for the chemical composition of the isolated nucleoli agreed with values previously reported.