The lipid composition of rat brain myelin and subcellular fractions during development

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Abstract
1. The lipids of whole brain and subcellular fractions of the rat were analysed during development. 2. The deposition of cholesterol occurred in two phases, one related to increasing wet weight of the brain and the second to myelination. Cerebroside accumulation was related only to myelination. 3. The composition of myelin isolated from 12-day-old rat brain was different in some respects from that of the adult. In the former there was an increase of phospholipid in relation to cholesterol and a marked deficiency in cerebroside. 4. It is suggested that early myelin is extruded glial plasma membrane, which only later becomes mature myelin.