Lateral heterogeneity of rat liver plasma membranes analysed by counter-current distribution.

The lateral heterogeneity of rat liver plasma membranes was examined by fragmentation and fractionation by counter-current distribution in an aqueous two-phase polymer system. The distribution pattern was analysed by plotting the relative specific activities of marker components against each other. By this analysis asialo-orosomucoid receptors were found in a domain separated from domains containing 5'-nucleotidase and leucine aminopeptidase by another domain devoid of these markers. 5'Nucleotidase and leucine aminopeptidase resided in adjacent but separate domains. The experimental data were compared with corresponding plots of markers in model membranes. The model membranes yielded plots of different shapes depending on marker distribution and fragment size. This method of analysis should be useful for examining the lateral heterogeneity also of other membranes.