THE MITOTIC APPARATUS: ISOLATION BY CONTROLLED pH

The isolation of the mitotic apparatus (MA) from the echinoderm egg was studied in detail, with particular attention given to the factors governing its stability. Successful isolation depends mainly on the pH of the isolation solution, slightly acid values being required. The use of a 1 M solution of hexanediol, buffered at pH 6.0 to 6.4, gives high yields of stable MA, while MA of poorer quality can be isolated in water buffered at pH 5.5 to 5.8. Isolation is possible only over a very narrow range of pH, as the cells become more difficult to break at lower values and the MA becomes unstable at higher values. Within this range the fibrous structure of the MA varies with the pH. The isolated MA disintegrates slowly when transferred to water at pH 7 and dissolves rapidly in solutions of high ionic strength.