Nanogram Amounts Of Protein Research Articles

Improved Coomassie Blue Dye-Based Fast Staining Protocol for Proteins Separated by SDS-PAGE

The time required to visualize proteins using Coomassie Blue dye has been significantly reduced with the introduction of fast staining protocols based on staining with a Coomassie Blue dye solution at boiling temperatures. However, fast stainings suffer from high gel backgrounds, reducing the signal-to-noise ratio and limiting the number of detectable spots in the case of 2D SDS-PAGE. The aim of this work was to eliminate the high gel background, and thus improve fast staining protocols based on Coomassie Blue dye. We show that merely replacing water with a 4 mM EDTA washing solution at boiling temperatures, results in a transparent gel background within 50 to 60 minutes of destaining. Moreover, when a combination of imidazole-zinc reverse staining and Coomassie Blue-based fast staining is used the sensitivity is improved significantly; nanogram amounts of proteins can be detected using 1D SDS-PAGE, and about 30% to 60% more spots can be detected with 2D SDS-PAGE in plasma, platelet, and rat brain tissue samples. This work represents an optimized fast staining protocol with improved sensitivity, requiring between 60 to 75 minutes to complete protein visualization.

Simultaneous red/green dual fluorescence detection on electroblots using BODIPY TR-X succinimidyl ester and ELF 39 phosphate.

A two-color fluorescence detection method is described based upon covalently coupling the succinimidyl ester of BODIPY TR-X dye to proteins immobilized on polyvinylidene difluoride membranes, followed by detection of target proteins using the fluorogenic, precipitating substrate ELF 39-phosphate in combination with alkaline phosphatase conjugated reporter molecules. This results in all proteins in the profile being visualized as fluorescent red signal while those detected specifically with the alkaline phosphatase conjugate appear as fluorescent green signal. The dichromatic detection system is broadly compatible with ultraviolet epi- or trans-illuminators combined with photographic or charge-coupled device cameras, and xenon-arc sources equipped with appropriate excitation/emission filters. The dichromatic method permits detection of low nanogram amounts of protein and allows for unambiguous identification of target proteins relative to the entire protein profile on a single electroblot, obviating the need to run replicate gels that would otherwise require visualization of total proteins by silver staining and subsequent alignment with chemiluminescent or colorimetric signals generated on electroblots. Combining the detection approach with an Alexa Fluor 350 dye conjugated monoclonal antibody permits simultaneous fluorescence detection of two antigens and the total protein profile on the same electroblot.

Precipitation of Dilute Chromatographic Samples (ng/ml) Containing Interfering Substances for SDS–PAGE

SDS–PAGE of chromatographic fractions requires prior removal of salts, detergents, denaturants, or organic solvents which may perturb the electrophoretic separation. Likewise, to successfully visualize minute amounts of protein present in chromatographic fractions, they must often be concentrated before analysis by SDS–PAGE. In this study, we used a dye precipitation procedure for simultaneous removal of interfering substances and concentration of dilute samples (ng/ml) before analysis by SDS–PAGE. Nanogram amounts of protein (143 ng) were effectively precipitated with a pyrogallol red–molybdate reagent from commonly used chromatographic buffers containing various interfering solutes or solvents. Proteins were successfully precipitated from solution in the presence of organic solvents (acetonitrile, methanol, 2-propanol), chaotropic agents (6 M urea, 6 M guanidine–HCl), a protein stabilizer (40% sucrose), metal chelators (30 mM EDTA and 30 mM EGTA), or high salt (1.0 M NaCl). Detergents, at concentrations up to twice their critical micelle concentrations, from the nonionic class (Triton X-100, Tween 20) or from the zwitterionic class (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) did not inhibit protein precipitation. Some interference was observed when proteins were precipitated in the presence of ammonium sulfate (0.5–2.0 M). Proteins did not precipitate in the presence of ionic detergents (SDS and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide). The sensitivity of the combined pyrogallol red–molybdate precipitation/SDS–PAGE procedure is approximately 7 ng. Two other methods of precipitating proteins (trichloroacetic acid and phenol–ether) both exhibited varying degrees of effectiveness, ranging from 714 to 7 ng/ml, in the precipitation of individual proteins. In summary, the pyrogallol red–molybdate protein precipitation procedure facilitates the SDS–PAGE analysis of dilute protein samples (ng/ml) from chromatographic fractions of various compositions. The method is useful for rapid pilot-scale protein fractionation and facilitates the ongoing propensity of researchers to work with minuscule amounts of protein.

Development of an ELISA for quantification of human protein S in cell culture fluids using commercial polyclonal antisera.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure protein S antigen released into cell culture fluids. We used readily available commercial polyclonal antisera to develop the assay. This assay was sensitive with a detection limit of about 0.086 ng/ml. Between-assay precision (coefficient of variation) at levels of 0.2, 1.1, and 13.9 ng/ml was 14%, 15%, and 11% respectively. Specificity and accuracy were demonstrated from the use of: 1) culture fluids from 3-primary endothelial cell cultures and 7-cell lines known to constitutively produce protein S; 2) 2-cell lines not synthesizing protein S; and 3) from selected samples of normal and protein S deficient plasma. The ELISA described here was about 12-fold more sensitive and 40-fold more cost effective when compared to a commercial ELISA kit. Thus the assay provided a sensitive, specific, precise and economical method useful for the measurement of the nanogram amounts of protein S commonly encountered in cell culture fluids.

A simple and rapid method to study the association of the contact proteins of blood coagulation

Native and reduced SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on the automated PhastSystem (Pharmacia) were used to demonstrate protein-protein binding interactions and structural changes during proteolytic activations of the proteins involved in contact activation. The “mobility shift” assay in native gels has been used to visualize the kinetics of activation of factor XII by dextran sulfate as well as the formation of kallikrein-cleaved high molecular weight kininogen. It shows the formation of prekallikrein-high molecular weight kininogen complexes and factor XII-dextran sulfate complex for the first time in gels. The use of automation makes this procedure fast and reproducible using nanogram amounts of protein in relatively short time.

Immunodetection with streptavidin-acid phosphatase complex on Western blots

A technique for the detection of nanogram amounts of protein blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes has been developed using nonradioactive probes. Protein transferred to nitrocellulose membranes is detected by a specific antibody followed by incubation with biotinylated anti-antibody. After addition of streptavidin-acid phosphatase complex, incubation with fast violet B salt produces sharp magenta bands. This method allows detection of bands containing less than 20 ng of protein. The procedure does not use radioactive or carcinogenic materials.

A new method for partial peptide mapping using N-chlorosuccinimide/urea and peptide silver staining in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels

A simple, rapid procedure for obtaining partial peptide maps from nanogram quantities of protein in gel slices using the selective tryptophanyl peptide bond cleavage reagent N-chlorosuccinimide/urea is presented. The generated peptide fragments can be visualized by autoradiography or by a sensitive protein silver-staining technique.