Investigation of electrophoretic exclusion method for the concentration and differentiation of proteins

Anal Chem. 2011 Jan 1;83(1):368-73. doi: 10.1021/ac1025495. Epub 2010 Dec 8.

Abstract

This work presents a technique termed as "electrophoretic exclusion" that is capable of differentiation and concentration of proteins in bulk solution. In this method, a hydrodynamic flow is countered by the electrophoretic velocity to prevent a species from entering into a channel. The separation can be controlled by changing the flow rate or applied electric potential in order to exclude a certain species selectively while allowing others to pass through the capillary. The exclusion of various proteins is investigated using a flow-injection regime of the method. Concentration of myoglobin of up to 1200 times the background concentration in 60 s was demonstrated. Additionally, negatively charged myoglobin was separated from a solution containing negatively charged allophycocyanin. Cationic cytochrome c was also differentiated from a solution with allophycocyanin. The ability to differentially transport species in bulk solution enables parallel and serial separation modes not available with other separations schemes.

MeSH terms

  • Electrons
  • Electrophoresis / instrumentation
  • Electrophoresis / methods*
  • Limit of Detection
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Proteins / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Proteins