A comparison of rapidly transported proteins in the sensory fibers of the rat and mouse sciatic nerve.

Fast axoplasmic transport through the sensory fibers of the sciatic nerve has been compared in rats and mice. The use of in vitro incubation permits high levels of specific activity to be attained when labeling with [(35)S]L-methionine. The specific activity of the transported proteins was about 10-fold greater in mice than in rats. Proteins labeled with radioactive methionine were examined after separation on polyacrylamide gels. There are no differences between mice and rats when the proteins carried by rapid transport are compared. Similarly, the proteins synthesized by the Schwann cells of these two species are not distinguishable. The dorsal root ganglia of mice, however, yield a band of radioactivity that is not seen in ganglia from rats. This band migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 31,000 daltons.