A Comparison of the Polypeptide Pattern Between a Brain Primary Culture and Fractions of Bulk‐Isolated Glial Cells

Abstract
The electrophoretic protein/polypeptide pattern of a rat brain primary culture was studied. For comparison, the polypeptide pattern of neuronal and glial enriched fractions from adult rat brain and cerebral hemispheres from newborn and adult rat were analyzed. Water-soluble and SDS[sodium dodecyl sulfate]-extractable polypeptide fractions appeared and/or increased in amount in the cultures until confluency. The polypeptide pattern of the cultures most resembled that of the glial cell fractions, showing some of this fraction''s specificity. Removal of fetal calf serum and addition of 0.1 mM-dibutyryl [dB] cAMP produced few changes in the electrophoretic pattern. Evidence in favor of the astroglial nature of the brain primary culture is provided. The cells undergo some maturation in the culture.