Preparation of membrane vesicles from kidney cortex lysosomes using amino acid methyl ester.

A procedure for the preparation of intact membrane vesicles from kidney cortex lysosomes is reported. Highly purified preparations of lysosomes were isolated from rat and buffalo kidney cortex by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The lysosomal membrane vesicles were prepared by osmotic rupture of the organelle with glutamate dimethyl ester. The integrity of the vesicles was demonstrated by their capacity to hold K+ and maintain H+ gradients.