A technique for the selective extraction of water-soluble polypeptides from identified neurons of Aplysia californica.

Increasing the osmotic gradient during hypo-osmotic lysis, by pre-treating Aplysia neurons with 100% ethylene glycol, caused the selective extraction of water-soluble, low molecular weight polypeptides from the cells. Specific 3H-labeled polypeptides in the cells R15, R3-13, and the bag cells which were not extracted by exposure of the cells to distilled water "lysis" were effectively solubilized by this procedure. The possible mechanisms and potential uses of this method are discussed.