Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels

In This Section
Buffers for Protein Electrophoresis
Casting Polyacrylamide Gels
Loading and Running Proteins on
Polyacrylamide Gels
Loading Buffers
Optimal Voltage, Running Times andPower Settings
ProSieve® 50 Gel Solution
PAGEr® Gold Precast Polyacrylamide Minigels
Chamber Modification Instructions
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels
SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains
Coomassie® Blue Stain
Silver Stain
References

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157
159
160
161
161
162
164
166
166
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170
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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Buffers for Protein Electrophoresis

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Overview

Buffers for Protein Electrophoresis

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is a powerfultool for separating and identifying mixtures of proteinsand peptides. Several systems exist for performing PAGE
and consideration should be given to which system best
suits a given sample prior to running the samples.

The Laemmli Buffer System (Tris-Glycine) is a discontinuous buffer system, widely used for fine resolution of abroad molecular weight range of proteins. In this system,
the gel is prepared with Tris-HCl Buffer and the Tris-glycine
is used as the running buffer.

Gradient vs. homogeneous (straight percentage) gelsIn the Tris-Tricine Buffer System, tricine replaces glycine
in the running buffer. The result is more efficient stacking
and destacking, and higher resolution of proteins andpeptides with lower molecular weights (under 10 kDa - 15
kDa).

Gradient gels are suitable for a wide range of size
resolutions, and will result in tighter band separation
than single concentration gels. A homogeneous, or single
concentration gel is appropriate where the proteins ofinterest are known to be within a narrow size range.
Discontinuous and continuous buffer systems
A discontinuous buffer system utilizes a large-pore gel(the stacking gel) layered on top of a small pore gel (theresolving gel). In this system, the buffer used to prepare
the gels is different from the buffer used in the tank. The
different buffers create two ion fronts concentrating theproteins into a very tight zone.
A continuous buffer system uses the same buffer in thegel and the tank. This system uses a single separating gel(no stacking gel) and has a single ion front. This system
is less used than discontinuous systems, however, theseparation of specific proteins and protein complexes
that precipitate or aggregate may require the use of acontinuous system.

Buffer Preparation
Tris-Glycine SDS Buffer, pH 8.3
10X Stock Solution
g/l for 10X Stock Solution.25 M Tris base30.3 g Tris Base
1.92 M Glycine
144.0 g Glycine
1.0% SDS*
10.0 g SDS
Adjust volume to 1 literwith distilled water(1X = 25 mM Tris base, 192 mM Glycine, 0.1% SDS*)*Omit SDS if running native proteins.

Tris-Tricine SDS Buffer, pH 8.3
10X Stock Solution
g/l for 10X Stock Solution
1 M Tris base121.1 g Tris base
1 M Tricine
179.0 g Tricine
1.0% SDS*
10.0 g SDS
Adjust volume to 1 literwith distilled water(1X = 100 mM Tris base, 100 mM Tricine, 0.1% SDS*)*Omit SDS if running native proteins.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Casting Polyacrylamide Gels

Casting Polyacrylamide Gels
Follow the steps below to cast a straight percentage
polyacrylamide gel with a stacking gel. Alternatively, Lonza
offers ready-to-use ProSieve® 50 Gel Solution, or PAGEr®
Gold Precast Gels in a wide variety of concentrations andwell formats.
Casting the resolving gel
1.

Assemble plates according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.

2.

Place the specified quantity of the first four components
from the table on page 175 into a side arm flask.

3.

Mix gently by swirling.

Note: Omit SDS if running a native gel.
4.

Degas the solution for 15 minutes. A high concentrationof APS (0.3%) can be used to speed polymerizationand skip the degassing step.

5.

Add the specified amounts of TEMED and 10% APS.

6.

Mix gently by swirling.

7.

Pour the resolving gel, leaving space for the stacking
gel.

8.

Gently overlay the acrylamide with water-saturated

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Returnto Main■■ Materials–– Vertical electrophoresis plate assembly with comb–– Sidearm flask assembly or filter unit for degassing
solutions–– Paper towels■■ Reagents–– 30% Acrylamide mix, 29% (w/v) Acrylamide,
1% (w/v) bisacrylamide, prepared in distilled water–– 1.5 M Tris Buffer pH 8.8–– 10% SDS–– 10% Ammonium Persulfate (APS)–– TEMED–– Distilled water–– Water saturated isobutanol
Caution: Wear gloves, safety glasses and lab coats
when handling acrylamide solutions.

isobutanol. The overlay blocks oxygen from inhibiting
polymerization of the resolving gel.
9.

Allow the gel to polymerize for 30 - 60 minutes.
A very sharp liquid-gel interface will be visible when thegel has polymerized.

10.

Pour off the overlay.

11.

Rinse the top of the gel several times with water.

12.

Blot any remaining water with a paper towel.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Casting Polyacrylamide Gels — continued

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Preparation of Tris-Glycine Resolving Gel
Component volumes (ml)Solution components
10 ml 20 ml 50 ml
6%
Distilled water
5.3
10.6
26.5
30% Acrylamide mix
2.0
4.0
10.0
1.5 M Tris (pH 8.8)
2.5
5.0
12.5
10% SDS
0.1
0.2
0.5
10% Ammonium persulfate 0.1
0.2
0.5
TEMED
0.008 0.016 0.04
8%Distilled water
4.6
9.3
23.2
30% Acrylamide mix
2.7
5.3
13.3
1.5 M Tris (pH 8.8)
2.5
5.0
12.5
10% SDS
0.1
0.2
0.5
10% Ammonium persulfate 0.1
0.2
0.5
TEMED
0.006 0.012 0.03
10%Distilled water
4.0
7.9
19.8
30% Acrylamide mix
3.3
6.7
16.7
1.5 M Tris (pH 8.8)
2.5
5.0
12.5
10% SDS
0.1
0.2
0.5
10% Ammonium persulfate 0.1
0.2
0.5
TEMED
0.004 0.008 0.02
12%
Distilled water
3.3
6.6
16.5
30% Acrylamide mix
4.0
8.0
20.0
1.5 M Tris (pH 8.8)
2.5
5.0
12.5
10% SDS
0.1
0.2
0.5
10% Ammonium persulfate 0.1
0.2
0.5
TEMED
0.004 0.008 0.02
15%
Distilled water
2.3
4.6
11.5
30% Acrylamide mix
5.0
10.0
25.0
1.5 M Tris (pH 6.8)
2.5
5.0
12.5
10% SDS
0.1
0.2
0.5
10% Ammonium persulfate 0.1
0.2
0.5
TEMED
0.004 0.008 0.02

Preparation of a 5% stacking gel
Place the specified quantity of the first four components
from the table below into a side arm flask.
				Component volumes (ml)1.

Solution components
Distilled water
30% Acrylamide mix
1.5 M Tris (pH 8.8)
10% SDS
10% Ammonium persulfate
TEMED
2.

1 ml
0.68
0.17
0.13
0.01
0.01
0.001

5 ml
10 ml
3.4
6.8
0.83
1.7
0.63
1.25
0.05
0.1
0.05
0.1
0.005 0.01

Mix gently by swirling.

Note: Omit SDS if running a native gel.
3.

Degas the solution for 15 minutes.

4.

Add the specified amounts of TEMED and 10% APS.

5.

Mix gently by swirling

6.

Pour the stacking gel directly onto the resolving gel.

7.

Insert the comb immediately.

8.

Allow the gel to polymerize for at least one hour.

9.

Prepare samples while the gel is polymerizing.

10.

Carefully remove the comb.

Note: Gels may be stored overnight at 4°C with the comb

in place and wrapped in plastic wrap.
Casting gradient polyacrylamide gels
Hand casting gradient gels is not covered in this resource.
Due to the complexity involved in hand casting gradientgels, precast gels have become a popular alternative.
We recommend PAGEr® Precast Gels (see page 48), or
ProSieve® Gel Solution (see page 60), which provides
gradient quality separation from a linear gel format.
Detailed discussions and protocols for preparing gradientgels can be found in Electrophoresis in Practice, 2nd
Edition.

Note: Adjust proportionally based on the amount of gel needed.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Loading and Running Proteins on Polyacrylamide Gels

Introduction
Protein load levels will vary depending upon sample purity
and staining method used. For highly purified proteins,
0.5 µg to 5 µg protein per lane on a minigel is generally
sufficient. Complete mixtures such as cell lysates may
require as much as 50 µg protein per lane. The table below
provides lower detection limits for protein detection.
Protein stain detection limits
Lower Detection Limit(protein/band)
Coomassie® Blue Stain
100 ngSilver Stain
1 ng
SYPRO® Orange Protein Gel Stain
1 ng–2 ng
SYPRO® Red Protein Gel Stain
1 ng–2 ng
SYPRO® Tangerine Protein Gel Stain
4 ng–8 ng

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

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The photographs below demonstrate the detection
sensitivities of commonly used stains
Coomassie® Blue Stain (CCD camera)
2.0

3.9

7.8

15.6

31.3

62.5

125

250

500

1000

SYPRO® Red Protein Gel Stain diluted in 7.5% acetic acid (Polaroid® Photo UV light)
2.0

3.9

7.8

15.6

31.3

62.5

125

250

500

1000

Protein Stain

Note: Limits are based on optimal detection methods foreach stain.

SYPRO® Tangerine Protein Gel Stain diluted in PBS (Polaroid® Photo UV light)
2.0

3.9

7.8

15.6

31.3

62.5

125

250

500

1000

62.5

125

250

500

1000

62.5

125

250

500

1000

Silver Stain (Amersham Plus™ One Kit)
2.0

3.9

7.8

15.6

7.8

15.6

31.3

SYPRO® Ruby Stain
2.0

3.9

31.3

Serial dilutions of ProSieve® Protein Markers were separated on 12% PAGEr®
Gold Precast Gels, stained and photographed as noted. The figure shows
the staining sensitivity seen for the 50 kDa band of the marker. The level ofprotein present is indicated in nanograms. Staining was performed following
the manufacturer’s instructions provided with the stains. Exposure times
for photography were adjusted to obtain highest possible detection levels.
Note that in both silver stain examples shown, development was allowed
to proceed for an extended time period relative to the range given in the
instructions to maximize detection. In the case of the Amersham kit; thisresults in overexposure of higher protein loading levels. Images of the silver
stained gels were captured using a CCD camera system.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Loading Buffers

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Introduction

Sample preparation tips for sample preparation

In general, loading buffers for protein electrophoresis
contain Tris-HCl, pH 6.8; 2% SDS; a reducing agent such asdithiothreitol (DTT), β-mercaptoethanol (βME), or Tris[2Carboxyethylphosphine]hydrochloride (TCEP); glycerol(a sinking agent) and a marker dye. An alternative
reducing agent to βME, Bond-Breaker™ TCEP Solution from
Thermo Scientific is an odor-free, ready-to-use solution
added to the sample buffer prior to denaturation.

—— Keep samples on ice prior to adding the sample buffer

Gel loading buffers serve four purposes in protein
electrophoresis:—— Add room temperature sample buffer to the cold
samples—— If preparing samples for future use, aliquot treatedsamples into usable aliquots to avoid freeze thawing—— Do not leave the samples in SDS sample buffer at room
temperature without first heating to 95°C to inactivate
proteases. A loss of high-molecular weight bands
and general smearing of the bands are indications ofprotease activity—— Reduction of protein complexes if performing
denaturing PAGE

Procedure for sample preparation—— Dissociation of proteins to allow them to run throughthe gelFollow the guidelines below for preparing protein samples
for electrophoresis.

—— Increase the density of the sample ensuring samples
drop evenly into the well—— Addition of a dye to the sample to simplify loading
and monitor the electrophoretic process
2X Tris-Glycine SDS sample buffer
2X concentrate
amount to add for
2X concentrate
126 mM Tris-HCl, pH 6.8
2.5 ml of 0.5 M
Tris-HCl, pH 6.8
20% Glycerol
2 ml Glycerol
4% SDS
4 ml of 10% SDS
0.005% Bromophenol blue
0.5 ml of
0.1% Bromophenol blue
Adjust volume to 10 ml with distilled water(1X = 63 mM Tris-HCl, 10% glycerol, 2% SDS, 0.0025% Bromophenol blue,
2.5% βME)1.

Add 0.5 ml βME or 1 ml TCEP to 10 ml of 2X Tris-Glycine
SDS sample buffer.

2.

Add 1 part 2X sample buffer to 1 part sample on ice.

3.

Mix well.

4.

Heat sample at 95°C - 100°C in a boiling water bath for 4
minutes.

5.

Place on ice until ready-to-use or store at –20°C for up to 6
months.

Loading the samples tips for loading samples—— Load the same sample volume in each well—— If the well is not needed for a sample, load with 1X
sample bufferNote: If a well is left empty, adjacent samples may spread■■ Materials–– Boiling water bath–– Ice■■ Reagents–– βME or TCEP–– 10 ml 2X Tris-Glycine SDS sample buffer

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Loading Buffers — continued

Procedure for sample loading
1.

Slowly and gently lift the comb straight up from the gel.
Allow air to enter the well area to release the vacuum
which forms between the gel and the comb.

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Returnto Main■■ Materials–– Electrophoresis chamber–– Gel■■ Reagents2.

Rinse each well with 1X electrophoresis buffer.

–– Samples

3.

Place the gel into the electrophoresis chamber.

–– 1X Electrophoresis buffer4.

Add 1X electrophoresis buffer to cover the wells.

5.

Gently load the desired volume of sample beneath thebuffer in each well.

Note: Loading the sample too fast will lead to diffusion of

the sample in the well.

Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Optimal Voltage, Running Times and Power Settings
Optimal voltage

Optimal electrophoretic time

Tris-Glycine polyacrylamide minigels are typically run
at constant voltage between 125 - 200 volts. During
electrophoresis, the current drops and heat decreases.
Voltage set too high, or not limited causes excessive
heating, resulting in band distortion and potential damage
to the gel and apparatus. Constant voltage allows the same
voltage to be used with multiple gels in an apparatus. Gel
thickness is not a factor when using constant voltage. For
large format gels, a constant current setting with a voltage
limit set slightly higher (5 volts) than the expected voltage
for the run may also be used to maintain sample velocity.

The gel should be run until the bromophenol blue dye
has migrated to the bottom of the gel. Gel runningtimes are dependent upon the buffer system used, thelength of the gel and the polyacrylamide concentration.
Typically minigels will take approximately 30 - 90
minutes to run. Whereas large format gels may takeas long as 5 hours to run.

Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
ProSieve® 50 Gel Solution

ProSieve® 50 Gel Solution is a modified acrylamide
formulation for electrophoresis of large proteins.
See page 60 for ordering information.

Advantages—— Gradient separation – From easy-to-cast single concen­
tration gels—— Easy-to-handle – Gels are more durable thanstandard acrylamide—— Sharp resolution – Resolves large proteins (>200 kDa)—— Fast – Shorter destaining times and faster protein
mobility times—— Low Background – Even when used with Silver Stain
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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
PAGEr® Gold Precast Polyacrylamide Minigels

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Introduction
PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels are Tris-Glycine (Tris-HCl) gelswith a 4% stacking gel. The gels contain no SDS, so canbe used for native gel electrophoresis or SDS may be
added to the sample and running buffer for denaturingconditions.
Advantages—— Eliminates gel preparation time—— Printed well markings for ease of sample loading—— Easy open cassette—— Compatible with most commonly used vertical minigel apparatuses

Separation ranges for proteins in
PAGEr® Gold Tris-Glycine Gels
Polyacrylamide
Concentration
		 7.5%10%12%
15%
4 - 20%
10 - 20%
4 - 12%
8 - 16%Size Separation
Range
50 kDa - 200 kDa
25 kDa - 200 kDa
20 kDa - 100 kDa
10 kDa - 50 kDa
5 kDa - 200 kDa
5 kDa - 150 kDa
25 kDa - 250 kDa
15 kDa - 200 kDa

See page 48 for ordering information.

The photograph below demonstrates the resolution
performance of PAGEr ® Gold Precast Gels

225 –
150 –
100 –
75 –
50 –
35 –
25 –
15 –
10 –

Separations were run using a 10 well 4-20% Tris-Glycine PAGEr® Gold
Precast Gel. The gel was run at 120 volts until the tracking dye reached
the base of the gel (approximately 90 minutes). ProSieve® Protein
Markers were loaded in lanes 1, 5 and 10; aqueous extracts of threedifferent strains of E. coli cells were run in lanes 2 - 4 and 7 - 9. Lanes 2- 4 were loaded at one half the load level of lanes 7 - 9. Lane 6 contains
a mixture of purified proteins. Proteins were detected by Coomassie®
Blue Stain.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
PAGEr® Gold Precast Polyacrylamide Minigels — continued

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Returnto Main

The figure below demonstrates the separation patterns of ProSieve® Protein Markers on PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels at various
concentrations. Smaller molecular weight bands do not separate on some lower concentration gels.
Percentage PAGEr® Precast Gel
15%

Gel
Concentration

12%

10%

7.5%

10-20%
225 –

225 –
225 –

4-20%

8-16%

4-12%

225 –
225 –

225–

225 –

225 –

50 –

50 –

50 –

Separation
Pattern

50 –

50 –
50 –
50 –
50 –
5–

25 –

Separation
Size Range

10 –

15 –

10 – 50 kDa

20 – 200 kDa

35 –25 – 200 kDa

50 – 200 kDa

5–

25 –
10 –

5 – 150 kDa

5 – 200 kDa

15 – 200 kDa

25 – 250 kDa

ProSieve® Protein Markers contain 10 proteins with exact masses of 225, 150, 100, 75, 50, 35, 25, 15, 10 and 5 kDa. Gels were run at 175 volts until the dye
front reached the bottom of the gel (approximately 60 minutes). 8 ml - 10 ml of ProSieve® Protein Marker was loaded per lane (0.8 µg - 1 µg per band). Gels
were stained with Coomassie® Blue Stain.

Chamber Compatibility
PAGEr® Gels are available in 9 cm × 10 cm and 10 cm × 10 cm sizes and fit most standard mini-vertical systems.
Contact Scientific Support for information about your specific chamber.
Standard Vertical Systems
PAGEr® Minigel Chamber

PAGEr® Gels
9 cm × 10 cm
10 cm × 10 cm gelsStandard Vertical Systems
Novex® XCell II

PAGEr® Gels
9 cm × 10 cm or 10 cm × 10 cm gels

Hoefer® Mighty Small (SE260)

9 cm × 10 cm or 10 cm × 10 cm gels

Bio-Rad® MiniPROTEAN® II, MiniPROTEAN® 3 orReady Gel® Cell Systems

9 cm × 10 cm gels

EC 120 Mini Vertical Gel System

9 cm × 10 cm or 10 cm × 10 cm gels

Reverse the inner core gasket so the flat side faces outward.

Novex® XCell SureLock® Mini-Cell

9 cm × 10 cm
10 cm × 10 cm gels

Request the spacer for the XCell SureLock® Mini-Cell Chamber from
Scientific Support, (Cat. No. 59900).

FisherBiotech® Vertical Minigel FBVE121,
Owl Separations Systems Wolverine™ P82

10 cm × 10 cm gels

Chamber comes with 2 sets of wedges. Use the thinner wedges for the PAGEr® Gold Gels.

FisherBiotech® Vertical Minigel FB-VE101,
Owl Separations Systems Penguin™ Model P8DS

10 cm × 10 cm gels

Hoefer® Mighty Small (SE250)

9 cm × 10 cm
10 cm × 10 cm gels

Biometra® Mini V Chamber

9 cm × 10 cm gels

CBS Scientific MGV System(10 cm × 8 cm units)

9 cm × 10 cm gels

Sigma-Aldrich Mini Techware(11.3 cm × 10 cm units)

10 cm × 10 cm gels

Zaxis System 2000

10 cm × 10 cm gels

Hoefer® Mini VE

10 cm × 10 cm gels

Request adaptor for these chambers from Scientific Support, (Cat. No. 59902).

Replace the buffer chamber with a ‘Deep lower buffer chamber for the SE260’,
order number 80-6148-78, from GE Healthcare.

Daiichi 2, ISS chambers

10 cm × 10 cm gels

See page 164 for modification instructions.

Some chambers may require adjustment for optimal fit, see page 164.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Chamber Modification Instructions

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

The following guidelines will ensure optimal performanceof PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels in these systems.
Bio-Rad® Mini-PROTEAN® II, Mini-PROTEAN® III or
Ready Gel® Cell Systems
Remove the rubber gasket from the inner core. Replace
the gasket in the reverse orientation into the unit so theflat side faces outward.
Daiichi 2
To run one gel: Place one cassette on wedge side of chamber.
Use the taller half of an Owl glass cassette or an equivalent as
a buffer dam on the other side. Use Daiichi wedges. The PAGEr®
Gold Cassettes cannot be used as the dam in this system.
To run two gels: Widen the hole on the yellow port of theinner core. Replace the long arm wedges with modified
wedges, which are thicker and shorter. This chamber
modification and the new wedges are available from
Lonza free of charge. Contact Lonza Scientific Support for
details.

Novex® XCell SureLock® Mini-Cell
Lonza offers a spacer for this chamber, contact Lonza
Scientific Support for details.
To run one gel: Put the gel in the front of the chamber.
Put the buffer dam on the back. Place the Lonza spacer
between the buffer dam and the buffer core, on the sideof the chamber with the gel tension wedge. Lock the geltension wedge.
To run two gels: Put a gel on each side of the buffer core.
Place the Lonza spacer between the gel and the buffercore, on the side of the chamber with the gel tension
wedge. Lock the gel tension wedge.
Owl Separation Systems Penguin™ Model P8DS-1
Lonza offers an adaptor for this chamber, contact Lonza
Scientific Support for details. The Lonza adaptor for the
Penguin™ model only works if the inner gasket is white.
Replace black-plastic side spacer with Lonza adaptor. Use
one on each side of the inner core.

FisherBioTech® Vertical Minigel Protein System:FB-VE10-1 Mini Chamber
Lonza offers an adapator for this chamber, contact Lonza
Scientific Support for details. The adapter only works if
the inner gasket is white.
Replace black-plastic side spacer with Lonza adapator.
Use one on each side of the inner core.
FisherBioTech® Vertical Minigel Protein System:FB-VE12-1
Chamber comes with 2 sets of wedges. Use the thinnerwedges with PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels.
Hoefer® Mighty Small (SE250)
Replace the lower buffer chamber with a Deep Lower Buffer
Chamber for the SE260. Available from GE Healthcare(Part No. 80-6148-78). The extra depth of the SE260
buffer chamber allows the lid to lock into place.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Chamber Modification Instructions — continued

Procedure for electrophoresis using
PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels■■ Materials

1.

Cut open pouch and remove gel.

–– Pipette2.

Rinse the gel with distilled or deionized water.

–– Electrophoresis apparatus

3.

Slowly and gently lift the comb straight up.

–– Power Supply

Note: Put the comb aside so it can be used to separate thecassette plates at the end of the run.
4.

Remove white tape from bottom of the cassette.

Note: The sharp end of the comb can be used to peel
off the tape.
5.

Mount the cassette(s) into the electrophoresis chamberso the printed side faces the outer (anode) bufferchamber. If running only one gel, mount the appropriate
buffer dam.

6.

Fill the buffer chambers with 1X running buffer.

7.

Wash the wells with 1X running buffer, displacing any air
bubbles in the wells.

8.

Load samples.

Note: For best results, load 1X sample buffer in the wells
without samples.
9.

Run the gels at a constant voltage of 125 - 200 volts until
the dye front is near the bottom of the gel (approximately
30 - 90 minutes).

–– Scissors–– Container–– Spatula■■ Reagents–– Distilled water–– Running Buffer AccuGENE® 10X Tris-Glycine or TrisGlycine SDS Buffer
PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels can be run at higher voltages
to achieve faster run times. If using Tris-glycine Running
Buffer gels can be run at 200 - 250 volts for approximately
40 minutes. If using Tris-Tricine running buffer gels can be
run at 150 - 200 volts for approximately 30 minutes.

The photographs below show the separation of protein
samples on PAGEr® Gold Precast Gels under increased
voltage.
4-20% PAGEr® Gold Gel
Tris-Glycine

10.

Remove the gel(s) from electrophoresis chamber.

11.

Place the cassette on a flat surface with the short side of
the cassette facing up.

kDa

12.

U sing the end of the comb and starting at the top of thecassette separate the two plates by using a twisting
motion to crack the cassette.

13.

Carefully remove the short plate.

225 –
150 –
100 –
75 –

14.

Hold the plate with the gel over an open container.

If the gel is adhered to
Then
Large Plate	Run end of comb or a
gloved finger behind slot
on cassette to push out the
lip at the bottom of the gel.
Small Plate	Use the comb or a spatula
to loosen one lower cornerof the gel.
15.

Allow gel to peel away and gently drop into thecontainer.

16.

Fix, stain and destain or blot the gel as desired.

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

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3

8-16% PAGEr® Gold Gel
Tris-Tricine
1

4

50 –

35 –

35 –

25 –

25 –

10 –

3

4

225 –
150 –
100 –
75 –

50 –

15 –

2

kDa

15 –
10 –
5–

5–
Samples were prepared using Tris-Glycine SDS Sample Bufferand β-Mercaptoethanol as a reducing agent. Lane 1: ProSieve® Protein
Markers; Lanes 2&3: E. coli extracts; Lane 4: Bovine Serum Albumin(BSA). Gel 1: 4-20% gel in 1X Tris-Glycine SDS Buffer run at 230 volts for
40 minutes. Gel 2: 8-16% gel in 1X Tris-Tricine SDS Buffer run at 185 voltsfor 30 minutes. Samples were run until the tracking dye reached thebase of the gels. Proteins were detected using Coomassie® Blue Stain.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Detecting proteins with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains

Select the Best Stain for your Application

SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains are highly sensitive
fluorescent stains for the rapid detection of proteins inpolyacrylamide gels. These stains can detect as little as
4 ng - 8 ng of protein per band in 40 - 60 minutes without
destaining. Gels stained with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains exhibit
low background and minimal protein-to-protein staining
variability. Gels can be documented using standard imaging
systems.

Application

Tips for staining gels with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains—— The SDS front at the bottom of the gel stains heavily
with SYPRO® Stains. Unless the protein of interest
comigrates with the SDS front, we recommend running
the SDS front off the end of the gel—— Colored stains such as Coomassie® Blue Stain andcolored protein markers may interfere with SYPRO®
staining and quench fluorescence. To stain gels
previously stained with Coomassie® Blue Stain,
soak the gel in several changes of 7.5% acetic acid toremove the Coomassie® Stain. Then incubate the gel
in 0.05% SDS for 30 minutes and stain with SYPRO®
Stain as usual—— Glove powder can leave background markings on gels.
Rinse or wash gloves prior to handling gels—— Clean the surface of the transilluminator after each
use with deionized water and a soft cloth. Fluorescent
stains (such as SYPRO® Stains or ethidium bromide)
can accumulate on the transilluminator and may
cause high background—— Handle gels carefully to avoid non-specific staining ofareas of the gel that have been squeezed—— SYPRO® Stains may be photobleached after several
minutes of exposure to UV light. If a gel becomes
photobleached, restain by incubating in the staining
solution

SYPRO® SYPRO® SYPRO®
Ruby Tangerine
RedHigh performancestaining
Staining prior toWestern blotting
2D electrophoresis
Edman
microsequencing
Mass spectrometry
Quantitation
Zymography
Electroelution
Membrane staining
Protein expression
Detection prior to
Immunostaining
Difficult to stain
proteins
IEF Gels

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■■ Materials–– Clear polypropylene container (e.g., Rubbermaid®
Recycling #5 Plastics)■■ Reagents–– 7.5% (v/v) acetic acid–– SYPRO® Protein Gel Stain stock solution
Caution: Materials and methods shown here present
hazards to the user and the environment. Refer tothe safety information on page 210 before beginningthese procedures.

—— SYPRO® stained gels can be restained with Coomassie®
Blue or Silver Stain procedures—— Plastic wraps and GelBond® Film will autofluoresce
when exposed to UV light resulting in very highbackground. Gels backed with GelBond® Filmcan be photographed by inverting the gel on thetransilluminator

Caution: Acetic acid causes burns and respiratory
irritation. Take precautions to prevent exposure.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels — continued

General Procedure for staining proteins with SYPRO®
Protein Gel Stains
1.

Run SDS-polyacrylamide gels according to standard
protocols.

Note: To reduce background staining with SYPRO® Red andTangerine Stains, use 0.05% SDS in the running buffer. Gels
run in 0.05% SDS show no change in the migration pattern ofproteins.
2.

Dilute the 5,000X concentrate to a 1X solution, in
7.5% (v/v) acetic acid, in a clear plastic polypropylene
container. For example, for every 10 ml acetic acid add
2 µl stock SYPRO Stain solution.

3.

Mix well.

4.

Place the gel into the staining container and cover with alid to protect from light.

5.

Gently agitate the gel at room temperature.

6.

Stain the gel for 40 - 60 minutes.

Note: The optimal staining time depends on the thickness ofthe gel and the gel concentration. Longer staining times may
be required as gel thickness increases.
7.

Briefly rinse the gel in 7.5% acetic acid.

8.

Remove the gel from the staining container andphotograph the gel following the procedure on page
168.

Procedure for staining nondenaturing gels with SYPRO®
Red Protein Gel Stain
Options for staining proteins with SYPRO® Red Stain after
native gel electrophoresis:
1.

2.

Dissolve the stain 1:5,000 in distilled water and follow
the general protocol for staining proteins with SYPRO®
Protein Gel Stains. This will be highly protein-selective,
and will be less sensitive than staining proteins in
SDS gels. To increase the signal, a long film exposure
can be used since the background fluorescence isessentially zero.

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Returnto MainProcedure for staining proteins with SYPRO® Tangerine
Protein Gel Stain: Non-fixing protocol
SYPRO® Tangerine Protein Gel Stain is an extremely
versatile fluorescent stain that does not alter protein
structure, interfere with the transfer of proteins to blotting
membranes, or use organic solvents. The stain can be
diluted into a wide range of buffers with a pH range from4 - 10 and if fixing is necessary, it can be diluted into 7.5%
acetic acid following the General Protocol for Staining
Proteins with SYPRO® Gel Stains.
If proteins are to be used for subsequent analysis, dilute
SYPRO® Tangerine stock solution into 50 mM phosphate,
150 mM NaCl, pH 7.0 or use one of the buffers listed below
prepared as 50 mM - 100 mM solutions containing 150
mM NaCl.
Compatible Buffers
Formate pH 4.0
Citrate pH 4.5
Acetate pH 5.0
MES pH 6.0
Imidazole pH 7.0

HEPES pH 7.5
Tris acetate pH 8.0
Tris-HCl pH 8.5
Tris borate,
20 mM EDTA pH 9.0
Bicarbonate, pH 10.0■■ Materials–– Clear polypropylene container (e.g., Rubbermaid®
Recycling #5 Plastics)■■ Reagents–– 50 mM Phosphate, 150 mM NaCl, pH 7.0 or suitablebufferCaution: Materials and methods shown here present
hazards to the user and the environment. Refer tothe safety information on page 210 before beginningthese procedures.

Soak the gel after electrophoresis in 0.05% SDS
for 30 minutes, then stain with a 1:5,000 solutionof SYPRO® Stain diluted in 7.5% acetic acid.
Proteins will be denatured and fixed after electrophoresis
using this treatment.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels — continued

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Follow this procedure if the gel will be used for subsequent
analysis such as zymography or Western blotting. Stained
proteins can also be eluted from gels and used for further
analysis such as mass spectrometry.
1.

Run SDS-polyacrylamide gels according to standard
protocols. It is not necessary to decrease the amountof SDS present in the running buffer when using SYPRO®
Tangerine Gel Stain.

—— The highest sensitivity using a Polaroid® Camera canbe obtained using Polaroid® 667 black-and-white print
film and the SYPRO® Protein Gel Stain Photographic
Filter. Exposure time will vary with the intensity of theillumination source. Begin with an f-stop of 4.5 and an
exposure of 2 - 8 seconds. Use of an ethidium bromide
filter is not recommended as it blocks much of thelight and leads to lower detection sensitivity

2.

Dilute the 5,000X concentrate to a 1X solution, in 7.5%(v/v) acetic acid solution, in a clear plastic polypropylene
container. For example, for every 10 ml acetic acid add 2µl stock SYPRO® Stain solution.

—— The SYPRO® Photographic Filter does not work with CCD
Camera systems. For CCD cameras, use the emission
and excitation data below and check with the camera
manufacturer for the appropriate filter3.

Mix well.

4.

Place the gel into the staining container and cover toprotect from light.

5.

Gently agitate the gel at room temperature.

Stain
Emission (nm)
SYPRO® Red
630
SYPRO® Orange
570
SYPRO® Tangerine
640

6.

Stain the gel for 40 - 60 minutes. The optimal staining
time depends on the thickness of the gel and the gelconcentration. Longer staining times may be required
as gel thickness increases.

7.

Remove the gel from the staining container and
immediately photograph the gel following the procedureon page 168.

Note: If the gel will be blotted after staining with SYPRO®

Tangerine Stain, stain the gel according to the procedure above,using 50 mM phosphate, 150 mM NaCl as the stain diluant. Add
0.1% SDS to the transfer buffer. This will help in the transfer ofsome proteins to the membrane.
Viewing gels stained with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains
All SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains have two excitation
wavelengths; in the UV region at approximately 300 nm
and in the blue range of visible spectrum, between 470
and 610 nm. The stains can be visualized using a UVtransilluminator or the Dark Reader® Transilluminator.
Photographing gels stained with SYPRO® Protein Gel
Stains—— Protein bands stained with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains
are best seen by photo­graphing the gel. The integrating
effect of a camera or imaging system can detect bands
that are not visible to the eye.

Excitation (nm)
300 and 550
300 and 470
300 and 490

Detecting proteins with Coomassie® Blue Stain
Coomassie® Blue Stain binds nonspecifically to mostproteins. Proteins are fixed and stained in a Coomassie®
Blue staining solution and subsequently destained toeliminate the blue background from the gel. Gels can bedried, photographed or stored wet.
Coomassie® Blue Stain solution
1X Working Solution
Amount for 1X
working Solution*
40% Ethanol
400 ml Ethanol
0.125% Coomassie® Blue 1.25 g Coomassie® Blue R-250
Distilled water
500 ml Distilled water
10% Acetic acid
100 ml Acetic acid
*Add reagents in the order provided
Coomassie® Blue destain solution
1X Working Solution
Amount for 1X
			working Solution*
5% Ethanol 		
50 ml Ethanol
7.5% Acetic acid 		
75 ml Acetic acid
Adjust volume to 1 liter with distilled water
Caution: These solutions should be prepared under
the fume hood.

—— Gels stained with SYPRO® Protein Gel Stains can be
photographed using Polaroid® Cameras, CCD camera
systems or laser scanners.
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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels — continued

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

Returnto MainDetecting proteins with silver stain
Procedure
1.

Prepare enough Coomassie® Blue Staining Solution tocover the surface of the polyacrylamide gel.

2.

Prewarm the Coomassie® Blue Stain Solution to 55°C.

3.

Remove the gel from the glass plates.

4.

Submerge the gel in the Coomassie® Blue Stain
Solution.

5.

Gently agitate the gel for 20 minutes at 55°C until the gel
becomes blue. Alternatively, solutions may be heated to
45°C and incubated at room temperature.

6.

Decant stain solution from container.

Note: Coomassie® Blue Staining Solutions can be saved
and stored to stain multiple gels. As the stain solution
reaches its “use limit”, gels will appear grainy and will notdestain completely and new staining solutions should be
prepared.

Silver staining is based on differential reduction of silver
ions bound to sulfhydryl and carboxyl side chainson proteins. After electrophoresis, proteins are fixed,
exposed to silver nitrite and developed to form a black
precipitate of silver. All silver staining procedures aretime consuming. Many good kits are commerciallyavailable which make the procedure faster andeasier. The BioRad® Silver Stain Plus™ Kit is recommended
for its versatility and ease of use.
The procedure described below is a modification ofMorrisey. This procedure uses dithiothreitol (DTT) to
improve reproducibility. An advantage of this version isthat development occurs more slowly than many silver
staining protocols, giving more control over the final
image.
Procedure

7.

Briefly rinse excess stain from gel in water

Wear gloves and use only glass-distilled water andglass staining containers. All steps can be done at room
temperature.

8.

Transfer the gel into the destain solution.

1.

9.

Gently agitate the gel at 55°C until the gel has destained
and bands are visible. (Approximately 1 hour).

Gently agitate the gel in 100 ml Destain I for 30 minutes
to overnight.

2.

Remove Destain solution I.

3.

Gently agitate the gel in 100 ml of Destain II for 30
minutes.

4.

Remove Destain II.

5.

Gently agitate the gel in 100 ml cross-linking solution for
30 minutes.

Note: The destain solution may need to be changed
occasionally until the background is clear. Do not overdestain, which can lead to loss of band intensity. Pieces of
paper towel or a Kimwipe® can be placed in the corner ofthe container to speed up this process. Change the tissues
when they are saturated with Coomassie® Blue Stain.
■■ Materials–– Kimwipes or paper towels–– 3 plastic containers with covers–– Shaking incubator set to 55°C■■ Reagents–– Stain solution–– 	0.125% Coomassie® Blue, 40% Ethanol, 10%
Acetic acid–– Destain solution

Note: For small peptides, incubate with glutaraldehyde

overnight to insure retention of the peptides in the gel.
6.

Remove cross-linking solution.

7.

Wash gel with several changes of water over a 2 hour
period.

Note: Alternatively, the gel can be placed in 2 liters of water andthe next morning washed for 30 minutes in fresh water. Highbackground will result if the glutaraldehyde is not completely
washed out of the gel.
8.

Gently agitate the gel in DTT solution for 30 minutes.

9.

Remove DTT solution and drain well, but do not rinse the
gel.

10.

Gently agitate the gel in 100 ml silver nitrate solution for
30 minutes.

–– 	5% Ethanol, 7.5% Acetic acid

Continued on next page.

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Section X: Protein Separation in Polyacrylamide Gels
Detection of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels — continued

Protein Separation in
Polyacrylamide Gels

11.

Place the staining tray under running deionized waterand swirl for a few seconds.

12.

Remove the water.

13.

Add 50 ml of Developing solution, swirl briefly, thendiscard the solution.

14.

Repeat step 13.

Note: This reacts with excess silver and prevents non-specificstaining of the gel.
15.

Add 100 ml of Developing solution and shake slowly.

Note: Staining occurs slowly at first but then progresses

rapidly. Development takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
16.

When the bands are slightly lighter than the desired
staining level, remove developing solution, rinse
quickly with water, add Destain II to cover the gel, as thestop solution. Alternatively, add 5 ml of Stop Solution
to the developer to stop development. In either case,development will not stop immediately but continues
for approximately 5 minutes after adding Stop Solution.

■■ Reagents–– Glass distilled water–– Destain I (40% Methanol 7% Acetic acid)–– 400 ml Methanol–– 70 ml Acetic acid–– 	Adjust volume to 1 liter with distilled water–– 	Store at room temperature indefinitely–– Destain II (5% Methanol, 7% Acetic acid)–– 700 ml Acetic acid–– 500 ml Methanol–– 	Adjust volume to 10 liters with distilled water–– 	Store at room temperature indefinitely–– Cross-linking solution (10% glutaraldehyde)–– 	20 ml of 50% glutaraldehyde stock in 100 ml ofdistilled water–– Dithiothreitol (DTT) Solution (5 mg/ml)

17.

Wash the gel several times in Destain II.

18.

Rinse the gel with water.

–– Silver Nitrate Solution (0.1% w/v Silver nitrate)

19.

Store in water or dry the gel.

Caution: Glutaraldehyde is toxic and must be handled
in a fume hood■■ Materials–– Glass containers–– Orbital shaker–– 	5.0 mg DTT in 1 liter of distilled water–– 	1.0 g Silver nitrate (AgNO ) in 1 liter ofdistilled water3–– 3% Sodium Carbonate (3% w/v)–– 	60.0 g Sodium carbonate in 2 liters of distilledwater–– 	Store in glass container

References
Ausubel, F.M., et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley and Sons, 1995.
Hoeffer Scientific Instruments, Protein Electrophoresis Applications Guide, 1994.
Lauber, W.M., et al., Electrophoresis, 22: 906 - 918, 2001.
Malone, J. P., et al., Electrophoresis, 22: 919 - 932, 2001.
Morrissey, J.H., Anal. Biochem., 117: 307 - 310, 1981.
Sambrook, J., et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual, 2nd edition, Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989.
Davis, B.J., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 121: 404 - 427, 1964.
Dunn, M.J., Gel Electrophoresis: Proteins, Bios Scientific Publishers Limited,
1993.
Hames, B.D., et al., Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins. A Practical Approach, Oxford
University Press, 1990.
Harlow, E. and Lane, D., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory, 1988.
Laemmli, U.K., Nature, 227: 680 - 685, 1970.
Ornstein, L., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 121: 321 - 349, 1964.
Schaegger, H. and von Jagow, G.V., Anal. Biochem., 166: 368 - 379, 1987.
Westermeier, R., Electrophoresis in Practice: A Guide to Methods and Applications of DNA
and Protein Separations, 2nd edition, VCH, A Wiley Company, 1997.
Wyckoff, M., et al., Anal. Biochem., 78: 459 - 482, 1977.

–– Developing Solution (3% Sodium carbonate, 0.019%
Formaldehyde)–– 	200 ml of 3% Sodium carbonate–– 	100 ml of 37% Formaldehyde–– 	Prepare just prior to use–– Stop Solution (2.3 M Sodium citrate)–– 	67.64 g Sodium citrate, dihydrate (FW 294.1)–– 	Adjust volume to 100 ml in distilled water
Caution: Materials and methods shown here present
hazards to the user and the environment. Refer tothe safety information on page 210 before beginningthese procedures.

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