Preparative isolation of peroxisomes from liver and kidney using metrizamide density gradient centrifugation in a vertical rotor.

A method for the preparative isolation of peroxisomes from the livers of rat, guinea pig, and mouse, and also from rat kidney is described. The light mitochondrial fraction, i.e., particles sedimenting between 33,000 and 250,000g-min, or the postnuclear supernatant of liver or kidney, is subjected to a 20-50% Metrizamide density gradient ultracentrifugation in a vertical rotor. After centrifugation, the peroxisomes (marker enzyme catalase and dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase) sedimented as a band near the bottom of the tube (rho = 1.22 g/ml). From the distribution of different marker enzymes and also from the morphometric examinations, it was demonstrated that the isolated peroxisomes are not contaminated with lysosomes, mitochondria, or microsomes.