Abstract
Dopamine D2-receptors were solubilized from synaptosomal membranes of the bovine caudate nucleus using different detergents. They were labelled with [3H]-spiperone and assayed by polyethylene glycol precipitation. CHAPS was found to be the best solubilizing agent among all detergents used. Optimal conditions for solubilization were: 0.25% CHAPS, 3.5 mg ml-1 protein, 25 min, 4 degrees C and the yield of D2-receptors was 18.6%. Addition of some sulphobetain detergents increased the extent of solubilization, 125 mM NaCl and 0.25 M sucrose decreased it, while SH-group protecting agents (2 mM dithiothreitol and 6 mM beta-mercaptoethanol), as well as MEGA-9 and MEGA-12 were almost ineffective. -log IC50 values for solubilized dopamine D2-receptors are in linear correlation with the corresponding values for membrane-bound receptors (r = 0.962, slope factor 0.96) and Kd value of solubilized receptors was 3.61 +/- 0.94 nM, while that of membrane-bound receptors was 1.25 +/- 0.10 nM. Specific binding of [3H]-spiperone to the solubilized receptors resolved by linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation shows two maxima, one in the first several fractions from the bottom and the other with an apparent S value of 7.3.