Nonstripping "Rainbow" and Multiple Antigen Detection (MAD) Western Blotting.

Abstract

A variation of immunoblotting method (the "Rainbow Western"), permits sequential detection of multiple antigens (MAD) on a single protein blot without stripping off prior antibodies. Because no stripping is involved, immobilized proteins are not lost from the membrane, thus allowing for multiple reprobings of the same membrane with different primary antibodies (≥12), retaining strong signal intensities for all sequential antibody probings. The procedure utilizes horseradish peroxidase (HRPase)-based detection with both a chemiluminescent and colorimetric substrate. Initial incubation of the blot with secondary antibody followed by colorimetric development prior to probing the blot with primary antibodies markedly reduces background in ECL-based detection procedures and permits sequential use of antibodies derived from a single species. In the "Rainbow Western," four different HRPase-colorimetric substrates that produce black, brown, red, and green colors are employed sequentially for detection and simultaneous display of four different antigens on the same membrane. By allowing large amounts of data to be obtained from a single blot, the MAD-immunoblotting and Rainbow Western methods have the potential for researchers to compare the expression of several proteins within a single biological sample. Both techniques could be particularly valuable for analysis of cellular populations that are difficult to isolate in large numbers or of clinical specimens where the amounts of protein samples is minute or only available on a one-time basis.