Summary
Following separation by electrophoretic methods, proteins in a gel can be detected by several staining methods. Staining of proteins with Coomassie Blue, Silver Staining, SYPRO Orange, SYPRO Ruby are demonstrated in this video.
Abstract
Following separation by electrophoretic methods, proteins in a gel can be detected by several staining methods. This unit describes protocols for detecting proteins by four popular methods. Coomassie blue staining is an easy and rapid method. Silver staining, while more time consuming, is considerably more sensitive and can thus be used to detect smaller amounts of protein. Fluorescent staining is a popular alternative to traditional staining procedures, mainly because it is more sensitive than Coomassie staining, and is often as sensitive as silver staining. Staining of proteins with SYPRO Orange and SYPRO Ruby are also demonstrated here.
Protocol
The complete text protocol for this experimental approach is available in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology.
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Cite This Article
Gallagher, S., Chakavarti, D. Staining Proteins in Gels. J. Vis. Exp. (17), e760, doi:10.3791/760 (2008).