Differential Extraction of Lymphocytic and Reticulum Cell Fractions from Thymus.

Abstract

Summary Two methods are described for the fractionation of thymus. Results using Method I indicate that sequential extraction with water or saline does not provide information distinguishing nuclear and cytoplasmic relationships. Data from Method II demonstrate that nuclei and cytoplasmic fractions of lymphocytes are obtained by slow stirring in sucrose-CaCl₂. The cytoplasmic fraction amounts to approximately 40% of the mass of the cell. Only 20% of the dry weight of the nuclei is non-nucleohistone material. Homogenization of residual tissue at top speed in a Waring blendor results in only 15% more material extracted.