The unravelling of metabolic dysfunctions linked to metal-associated diseases by blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 Feb;405(6):1821-31. doi: 10.1007/s00216-012-6413-9. Epub 2012 Sep 22.

Abstract

Gel electrophoresis is routinely used to separate and analyse macromolecules in biological systems. Although many of these electrophoretic techniques necessitate the denaturing of the analytes prior to their analysis, blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) permits the investigation of proteins/enzymes and their supramolecular structures such as the metabolon in native form. This attribute renders this analytical tool conducive to deciphering the metabolic perturbations invoked by metal toxicity. In this review, we elaborate on how BN-PAGE has led to the discovery of the dysfunctional metabolic pathways associated with disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and obesity that have been observed as a consequence of exposure to various metal toxicants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Citric Acid Cycle / drug effects
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Glycolysis / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Metals, Heavy / toxicity*
  • Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis / methods*
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism*
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Conformation / drug effects
  • Rosaniline Dyes
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein

Substances

  • Metals, Heavy
  • Rosaniline Dyes
  • Oxidoreductases
  • coomassie Brilliant Blue