Abstract
Abstract— —Adult rat brain nuclei were separated by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation into astrocyte enriched, neuron enriched, and oligodendrocyte/microglia fractions. Nuclear fractions were subjected to velocity sucrose gradient centrifugation and gradient fractions assayed using relatively specific reaction mixtures for DNA polymerase‐α, ‐β and TdT. NEM resistant DNA polymerase activity (DNA polymerase‐β) was detected in equivalent amounts in all nuclear fractions. High molecular weight NEM sensitive activity (DNA polymerase‐α) was found primarily in the neuron enriched fraction. The significance of the presence of DNA polymerase‐α, an enzyme thought to be involved in DNA replication, in a cell incapable of cell division is unknown. TdT was detected in all fractions with increased activity in the neuron enriched fraction. The finding of TdT in thymocytes and neurons further supports the hypothesis that this enzyme is involved in the storage of noninherited information.
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