Zymography Technique

Zymography is an electrophoretic technique that detects and characterizes enzyme activity, especially proteases, by visualizing substrate degradation in a gel. In a typical assay, proteins migrate through a polyacrylamide gel containing a copolymerized substrate such as gelatin; after electrophoresis, the enzyme is renatured and digests the surrounding substrate, producing clear bands against a stained background. Band position indicates approximate molecular size, while band intensity reflects relative activity under the assay conditions. In biology, zymography supports the study of matrix metalloproteinases and other hydrolytic enzymes in processes including extracellular-matrix remodeling, tissue development, inflammation, and disease research.

Zymography Technique - Related Videos

Research

JoVE EoE - Cancers of the Nervous System

Fluorescent Peptide Zymography: A Modified Technique to Detect Protease Activity Using Fluorogenic Substrates in Zymogram Gels

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2025

In this video, we perform zymography, an electrophoretic technique, to analyze the proteolytic activity within biological samples.

Zymography Gel Electrophoresis: An Electrophoretic Technique to Detect Matrix Metalloproteinases by Assessing the Enzymatic Activity

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2025

This video demonstrates the zymography gel electrophoresis technique to assess the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) present in cell culture supernatant. The active MMPs degrade the MMP-specific substrate embedded in a polyacrylamide gel, which appears as clear bands against a dark stained background following staining.

Research

JoVE Journal - Biology
Free Sample

Detection of Functional Matrix Metalloproteinases by Zymography

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Cited by 126 •

2010

This protocol describes an activity-based assay for detecting matrix metalloproteinases in culture supernatants or body fluids.

Detection of Protease Activity by Fluorescent Peptide Zymography

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Cited by 1 •

2019

Here, we present a detailed protocol for a modified zymographic technique in which fluorescent peptides are used as the degradable substrate in place of native proteins. Electrophoresis of biological samples in fluorescent peptide zymograms enables detection of a wider range of proteases than previous zymographic techniques.

Education

JoVE Lab Manual - Chemistry

Lab Techniques - Concepts

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2020

Measurement Accuracy The ability to repeat an experiment and get the same results, or reproducibility, is essential in scientific research. However, it’s impossible to repeat an experiment if you don’t know how you did it. Thus, scientists keep detailed records of their experiments in lab notebooks. These records include important information like the amount of each material used and descriptions of each step of the procedure. Equipment, like balances and volumetric or graduated glassware, is...

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