Residual Bodies and their Components12

By use of a modified Polytron, it was possible to isolate intact residual bodies from rat testis seminiferous tubules. These isolated residual bodies contained a concentration of lipid vesicles, RNP spheres, mitochondria and star-like bodies (endoplasmic reticulum in origin) consistent with their identity as residual bodies. These residual body fractions were subsequently used intact or as a source for the isolation of lipid vesicles. Using this procedure lipid vesicles of known origin (i.e. the germ cell) were obtained. The homogenization procedures used for residual bodies also allowed for the preparation of whole cell suspensions.