Simplification and improvement of protein detection in two-dimensional electrophoresis gels with SERVA HPE™ lightning red

Fluorescent chameleon labels for bioconjugation and imaging of proteins, nucleic acids, biogenic amines and surface amino groups. a review

Chameleon labels (ChLs) possess the unique property of changing (visible) color and fluorescence on binding to amino groups of biomolecules. MostChLs react with primary aliphatic amino groups such as those in lysine or with amino groups artificially introduced into polynucleic acids or saccharides, but someothers also react with secondary amino groups. Under controlled circumstances, the reactions are fairly specific. The review is subdivided into the following sections: (1) An introduction and classification of fluorescent labels; (2) pyrylium labels that undergo shortwave color changes upon labelling, typically from blue to red; (3) polymethine type of labels (that also undergo shortwave color changes, typically from green to blue; (4) various other (less common) chromogenic and fluorogenic systems; (5) hemicyanine labels that undergolongwavecolor changes, typically from yellow to purple; (6) the application of ChLs to labeling of proteins and oligonucleotides; (7) applications to fluorometric assays and sensing; (8) applications to fluorescence imaging of biomolecules; (9) applications in studies on affinity interactions (receptor-ligand binding); (10) applications in surface and interface chemistry; and (11) applications in chromatography, electrophoresis and isotachophoresis of biomolecules.

Principles of Protein Labeling Techniques

Protein labeling methods prior to separation and analysis have become indispensable approaches for proteomic profiling. Basically, three different types of tags are employed: stable isotopes, mass tags, and fluorophores. While proteins labeled with stable isotopes and mass tags are measured and differentiated by mass spectrometry, fluorescent labels are detected with fluorescence imagers. The major purposes for protein labeling are monitoring of biological processes, reliable quantification of compounds and specific detection of protein modifications and isoforms in multiplexed samples, enhancement of detection sensitivity, and simplification of detection workflows. Proteins can be labeled during cell growth by incorporation of amino acids containing different isotopes, or in biological fluids, cells or tissue samples by attaching specific groups to the ε-amino group of lysine, the N-terminus, or the cysteine residues. The principles and the modifications of the different labeling approaches on the protein level are described; benefits and shortcomings of the methods are discussed.

Detection and Identification of Low-Abundant Proteins Using HPE Gels, Fluorescent Stains, and MALDI-ToF-ToF-MS

Two-dimensional electrophoresis as a complementary approach to gel-free proteomic methods possesses the ability to separate physiologically important isoforms of proteins in an unbiased manner. Frequently, those isoforms are low-abundant regulators, and therefore, detection and identification of low-abundant proteins is highly necessary to exploit this advantage. We describe an experimental sequence of classical operations to process gels but optimized them, in order to identify each detectable protein spot on gel.

Principles of protein labeling techniques

Protein labeling methods prior to separation and analysis have become indispensable approaches for proteomic profiling. Basically, three different types of tags are employed: stable isotopes, mass tags, and fluorophores. While proteins labeled with stable isotopes and mass tags are measured and differentiated by mass spectrometry, fluorescent labels are detected with fluorescence imagers. The major purposes for protein labeling are monitoring of biological processes, reliable quantification of compounds and specific detection of protein modifications and isoforms in multiplexed samples, enhancement of detection sensitivity, and simplification of detection workflows. Proteins can be labeled during cell growth by incorporation of amino acids containing different isotopes, or in biological fluids, cells or tissue samples by attaching specific groups to the ε-amino group of lysine, the N-terminus, or the cysteine residues. The principles and the modifications of the different labeling approaches on the protein level are described; benefits and shortcomings of the methods are discussed.