What staining methods are used in PAGE gels?

A number of staining methods for PAGE gels have been reported, such as Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB), amido black, and silver staining [2, 3, 4]. Coomassie brilliant blue staining has been commonly used to stain protein bands in PAGE gels, due to its low cost, easy operation, and relatively high sensitivity .

What is polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)?

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is one of the most widely used methods to analyze proteins biochemically . After separation by electrophoresis, protein bands need to be detected with a subsequent staining step.

Which staining method is used to detect protein bands after electrophoresis?

After separation by electrophoresis, protein bands need to be detected with a subsequent staining step. A number of staining methods for PAGE gels have been reported, such as Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB), amido black, and silver staining [2, 3, 4].

How is a PAGE gel stained?

In this method, PAGE gels are stained and destained electrophoretically using ethanol instead of methanol. Only one replacement of the boiled water is required. Most of the protein bands became visible in less than 30 min, and thus, it reduces the overall experimental time.

How much does a protein staining/destaining system cost?

Several companies produce rapid protein staining/destaining systems, such as eStain™ from GenScript (Piscataway, NJ, USA, Cat. no.: L00657) or Pierce™ Power Stainer from Thermo Scientific (Waltham, MA, USA, Cat. no.: 22840). However, the electrophoretic apparatuses are expensive (~$2000), and each staining costs ~$5 per gel.

Does ultrasensitive stain show regional variation in cerebrospinal fluid proteins?

Merril C.R., Goldman D., Sedman S.A., Ebert M.H. Ultrasensitive stain for proteins in polyacrylamide gels shows regional variation in cerebrospinal fluid proteins. Science. 1981;211:1437–1438. doi: 10.1126/science.6162199. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 4. Weber K., Osborn M.