<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>In vitro Sphingomyelinase Assay </TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P><CENTER>[ <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/toc.html>TOC</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/apoptosis.html>Apoptosis</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/biochemistry.html>Biochemistry</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/cbcc.html>CBCC</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/lipid.html>Lipid</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/mbg.html>MBG</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/yeast.html>Yeast</A> | <A HREF=http://www.musc.edu/bcmb/ceramide/protocols/misc.html>Misc</A> ]<BR> <HR></CENTER> <H2><CENTER><I>In vitro </I>Sphingomyelinase Assay </CENTER> </H2> <BR> <BR> Contributor: Suprya Jayadev<BR> Date: May 25, 1993<BR> <BR> <BR> <B>Reagents:</B><BR> <BR> Lysis buffer<BR> 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4<BR> 5 mM EDTA<BR> 1 mM ATP<BR> 20 &#181;g/ml CLAP<BR> 1 mM PMSF<BR> <BR> Buffer A<BR> 10 mM MgCl2<BR> 0.2 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.4<BR> 0.2 % Triton X-100<BR> <BR> Buffer B<BR> 0.2 M sodium acetate, pH 5.0<BR> 0.2 % Triton X-100<BR> <BR> Buffer C<BR> 0.2 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.4<BR> 0.2 % Triton X-100<BR> <BR> <HR><B><BR> Isolating cellular enzyme<BR> <BR> </B>1) Grow 5 x 108 cells under regular growth conditions.<BR> <BR> 2) Pellet cells and wash one time with ice cold PBS.<BR> <BR> 3) Resuspend pellet in 10 ml of ice cold lysis buffer.<BR> <BR> 4) Bomb cells: 20 minutes @ 350 psi, 4&#176;C<BR> <BR> 5) Spin lysed cell mixture at 2,100 rpm, 4&#176;C for 10 minute.<BR> <BR> 6) Discard pellet and set aside 3 ml of supernatant.<BR> <BR> --&gt; Supernatant from this step = &quot;homogenate&quot;<BR> <BR> 7) Spin remaining supernatant (&quot; 7 ml) @ 200,000 xg,4 &#176;C for 30 minutes.<BR> <BR> centrifuge ____________________<BR> rotor ____________________<BR> rpm ____________________<BR> time @ plateau ____________________<BR> <BR> 8) Recover both supernatant and pellet separately.<BR> <BR> --&gt; Supernatant = &quot;cytosol&quot;<BR> <BR> 9) Resuspend pellet in 3 ml lysis buffer.<BR> <BR> --&gt; This fraction = &quot;membrane&quot;<BR> <BR> <HR><BR> <B>Preparing substrate</B><BR> <BR> 10) Resuspend dried 14C-SM in appropriate buffer to get 20 nmoles, 2 x 105 cpm, 100 &#181;l per sample.<BR> <BR> Buffer A: For neutral, Mg-dependent enzyme.<BR> Buffer B: For acidic enzyme.<BR> Buffer C: For neutral, Mg-independent enzyme.<BR> <BR> 11) Vortex vigorously and sonicate if neccessary.<BR> <BR> --&gt; Make sure lipid is fully solubilized!!<BR> <BR> Assaying enzyme activity<BR> <BR> 12) Mix cellular enzyme with inducer <B>gently</B>.<BR> <BR> --&gt; The volume of this mix should be 100 &#181;l.<BR> <BR> 13) Pre-incubate for 10 minutes at 37 &#176;C.<BR> <BR> 14) Add 100 &#181;l 14C-SM mix to each sample and mix <B>gently</B>.<BR> <BR> 15) Incubate reaction for 15 minutes.<BR> <BR> 16) Stop reactions by adding 1.5 ml of chloroform:methanol, 1:2.<BR> <BR> 17) Vortex, add 0.2 ml of water and vortex.<BR> <BR> 18) Add 0.5 ml chloroform and vortex to break phases.<BR> <BR> 19) Add 0.5 ml water and vortex.<BR> <BR> 20) Spin samples at 3,000 rpm for 5 minutes.<BR> <BR> 21) Count 950 &#181;l of the upper phase and 0.5 ml of the lower phase.<BR> <BR> --&gt; The total volume of upper, aqueous phase should equal 1.9 ml and the total volume of the lower, chloroform phase should equal 1 ml.<BR> <BR> <BR> </BODY> </HTML>