Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Studies on chemical nature of lipofuscin (age pigment) isolated from normal human brain

  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

Human brain lipofuscin isolate was studied for its purity and physical and chemical properties. Purification of the impure material was achieved by gel permeation chromatography using Sephadex LH-20 and BioBeads S-X1 gels. The purified lipofuscin polymer represented ca. 12% of the starting material with the rest of the material being various mixed lipids. The mol wt of the purified lipofuscin was determined to be between 6000–7000 daltons. IR, UV-visible, NMR, and fluorometric spectra were obtained, all indicating the fundamentally lipid nature of lipofuscin. The NMR spectrum strongly resembled that of a typical long chain fatty acid. Numbers of fatty acids and several amino acids were present as a portion of the lipofuscin structure. The results obtained suggested that the brain lipofuscin employed in the present study consisted mainly of polymeric lipid and phospholipid structures along with amino acids either bound to the lipids or as included proteins.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Strehler, B.L., Advan. Geron. 1:343 (1964).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dillard, C.J., and A.L. Tappel, Lipids 6:715 (1971).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Dillard, C.J., and A.L. Tappel, Ibid. 8:183 (1973).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Malshet, V.G., and A.L. Tappel, Ibid. 8:194 (1973).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Reiss, U., and A.L. Tappel, Ibid. 8:199 (1973).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bidlack, W., and A.L. Tappel, Ibid. 8:203 (1973).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chio, K.S., U. Reiss, B. Fletcher, and A.L. Tappel, Science 166:1535 (1969).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Fletcher, B.L., C.J. Dillard, and A.L. Tappel, Anal. Biochem. 52:1 (1973).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chio, K.S., and A.L. Tappel, Biochemistry 8:2821 (1969).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lillie, R.D., Stain Technol. 27:37 (1952).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Björkerud, S., Exp. Mol. Pathol. 3:377 (1964).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Nishioka, N., N. Takahata, and R. Ilzuka, Acta. Neuropathol. 11:174 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hendley, D.D., and B.L. Strehler, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 99:406 (1965).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Siakotos, A.N., H.H. Goebel, V. Patel, I. Watanabe, and W. Zeman, in “Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology,” Edited by B.W. Volk and S.M. Aronson, Plenum Press, New York, N.Y., 1972, p. 53.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Siakotos, A.N., I. Watanabe, A. Saito, and S. Fleischer, Biochem. Med. 4:361 (1970).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Johnston, P.V., “Basic Lipid Methodology,” Publication 19, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Taubold, R.D., M.S. Thesis, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill., 1972.

  18. Searcy, R.L., and L.M. Berguist, Clin. Chim. Acta 5:192 (1960).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gehrke, C.W., and D.L. Stalling, Separ. Sci. 11:101 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Erikson, J.M., and H.G. Briggs, J. Chem. Educ. 50:631 (1973).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Nyström, E., and J. Sjövall, Anal. Biochem. 12:235 (1965).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Braddock, R.J., and L.R. Duggan, Jr., JAOCS 50:343 (1973).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Varian Corp, “Varian Catalog of NMR Spectra,” Varian Corp, Walnut Creek, Calif., 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gunstone, F.D., “An Introduction to the Chemistry and Biochemistry of Fatty Acids and Their Glycerides,” The Chaucer Press, Bungay, Suffolk, Great Britain, 1967, pp. 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hofstetter, H.H., N. Sen, and R.T. Holman, JAOCS 42:537 (1965).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McLafferty, F.W., “Interpretation of Mass Spectra,” W.A. Benjamin, New York, N.Y., 1967, p. 26.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, The Burnsides Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 61801, Urbana, Illinois

    R. D. Taubold

  2. Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 46202, Indianapolis, Indiana

    A. N. Siakotos

  3. Department of Food Science, The Burnsides Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 61801, Urbana, Illinois

    E. G. Perkins

Authors
  1. R. D. Taubold
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. N. Siakotos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. G. Perkins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Taubold, R.D., Siakotos, A.N. & Perkins, E.G. Studies on chemical nature of lipofuscin (age pigment) isolated from normal human brain. Lipids 10, 383–390 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02532441

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02532441

Keywords

Search

Navigation