Isolation of Renal Brush Borders

Methods are described to isolate intact brush borders and brush border membranes from renal cell homogenates. A rapid method yields sealed vesicles that reconstitute renal brush border transport. In one variation of this protocol, 10 to 20 mM CaCl2 or MgCl2 is added to aggregate non-brush border structures for subsequent removal by centrifugation. For analytical studies, guidance is provided for subsequent purification steps including preparative free-flow and aqueous two-phase partition. Marker enzymes and morphological parameters are included for assessment of yield and fraction purity.