Transfering high molecular weight proteins

We are all intimately familiar with protein blotting techniques which have been a cornerstone of the biochemicstry/biology lab for the past 30 years.

As is well known, the efficiency of protein migration is affected by various factors including the size and charge of the protein, and protocol optimization is often needed on a protein-specific basis. In fact, it can be particularly challenging to transfer large molecular weight proteins alongside small molecular weight proteins, as transfer conditions may cause small proteins to blow through the membrane.

Currently there are three popular techniques for protein transfer: the tank transfer, the semi-dry blotting method and the fast blotting “turbo” technique (for transfer within 3-10 minutes).

In the attached paper, Transfer of high molecular weight proteins to membranes: a comparison of transfer efficiency between blotting systems, Bio-Rad Laboratories presents a comparison of the various blotting techniques across a wide range of molecular weights with a particular emphasis on large proteins (more than 200kD).

Tags: , , ,

Leave a Reply