Transport of catecholamines by resealed chromaffin-granule ‘ghosts’

A method is described for the preparation of resealed chromaffin-granule ghosts'.Thelysisandraπdpurificationproceduresprovghosts′.Thelysisandraπdpurificationproceduresprovghosts' in approximately 70% yield from crude granules; the preparation contains 0.1μmol of catecholamine/mg of protein (as compared with 2.8μmol/mg in unlysed granules), of which about one third is inside the ghosts'.Theghosts′.Theghosts' retain their ability to accumulate catecholamines, a process dependent on Mg-ATP and inhibited by reserpine, and a simple assay for this transport is described.