Skip to main content

Fluorescent Staining of Gels

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Protein Gel Detection and Imaging

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1853))

Abstract

Certain transition metal complexes show intensive fluorescence when bound to proteins. They can be used to stain gels after electrophoresis with a sensitivity approaching that of silver staining, but in a much simpler and more reproducible procedure. Stains can be prepared easily and at a fraction of the cost of commercially available reagents. Hydrophobic dyes can be used to stain gels without fixing; they do not interfere with later blotting or electroelution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Ornstein L (1962) Disk electrophoresis: I. Background and theory. Ann N Y Acad Sci 121:321–351. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14207.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Davis B (1964) Disc electrophoresis—II method and application to human serum proteins. Ann N Y Acad Sci 121:404–427. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14213.x URL http://www.pipeline.com/lenornst/DiscEle2.pdf

  3. Fazekas De St Groth S, Webster R, Datyner A (1963) Two new staining procedures for quantitative estimation of proteins on electrophoretic strips. Biochim Biophys Acta 71:377–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3002(63)91092-8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Heukeshoven J, Dernick R (1988) Improved silver staining procedure for fast staining in PhastSystem development Unit I. Staining of sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. Electrophoresis 9(1):28–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.1150090106

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Merril C, Goldman D, Sedman S et al (1981) Ultrasensitive stain for proteins in polyacrylamide gels shows regional variations in cerebrospinal fluid proteins. Science 211(4489):1437–1438. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6162199

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Buxbaum E (2011) Biophysical chemistry of proteins: an introduction to laboratory methods. Springer, New York ISBN 978–1–4419-7250-7

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Daban JR, Bartolomé S, Samsó M (1991) Use of the hydrophobic probe Nile red for the fluorescent staining of protein bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Anal Biochem 199(2):169–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(91)90085-8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Miller I, Crawford J, Gianazza E (2006) Protein stains for proteomic applications: which, when, why? Proteomics 6(20):5385–5408. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.200600323

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Rabilloud T, Strub JM, Luche S et al (2001) A comparison between Sypro Ruby and ruthenium(ii) tris (bathophenanthroline disulfonate) as fluorescent stains for protein detection in gels. Proteomics 1(5):699–704. https://doi.org/10.1002/1615-9861(200104)1:5%3C699::AID-PROT699%3E3.0.CO;2-C

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pluder F, Beck-Sickinger A (2007) One-step procedure for staining of proteins with ruthenium II tris (bathophenanthroline disulfonate). Anal Biochem 361:299–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2006.11.003

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Buxbaum E (2012) Fluorescent staining of gels. Methods Mol Biol 869:543–550 Humana, Dordrecht, ISBN 978–1–61779-820-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-542-8_14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Laemli U (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685. https://doi.org/10.1038/227680a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Smith I, Cromie R, Stainsby K (1988) Seeing gel wells well. Anal Biochem 169:370–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(88)90297-7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Alba F, Bermudez A, Bartolome S et al (1996) Detection of five nanograms of protein by two-minute Nile red staining of unfixed SDS gels. BioTechniques 21(4):625–626 URL http://www.biotechniques.com/multimedia/archive/00009/96214bm12\s\do5(9)719a.pdf

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Cleland WW (1964) Dithiothreitol, a new protective reagent for SH groups. Biochemistry 3(4):480–482. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00892a002

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Crans D, Zhang B, Gaidamauskas E et al (2010) Is vanadate reduced by thiols under biological conditions? Changing the redox potential of V(V)/V(IV) by complexation in aqueous solution. Inorg Chem 49(9):4245–4256. https://doi.org/10.1021/ic100080k

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hampel M, Sehnert B, Karas M et al (2006) Double staining of proteins after separation in SDS gels with ruthenium bathophenanthroline disulfonate and silver is compatible with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Signal Transduct 6(3):185–189. https://doi.org/10.1002/sita.200400044 URL http://www.igz.ch/de/hersteller/hersteller.asp?action=download?fileid=8070

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funding from Ross University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this protocol

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this protocol

Buxbaum, E. (2018). Fluorescent Staining of Gels. In: Kurien, B., Scofield, R. (eds) Protein Gel Detection and Imaging. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1853. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8745-0_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8745-0_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-8744-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-8745-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics