The system serves as a one-step purification method for isolation of biologically relevant proteins affected by disease or experimental treatment.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has developed procedures and a prototype device for isolation of proteins from complex mixtures for protein identification.  The system serves as a one-step purification method for isolation of biologically relevant proteins affected by disease or experimental treatment and has been described in Electrophoresis 15, 735–745, 1994.  The system includes a preparative isoelectric focusing device for separation of proteins by charge, a glass mold for preparative polyacrylamide gel separation by mass and a protocol for use.

 

The commercial advantage of the Preparative Two Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis system is to separate and isolate sufficient amounts of individual protein for sequencing in a powerful one-step purification method.  The Preparative Two Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis system can resolve individual proteins by charge and mass from up to 1 to 2 mg of unpurified starting material from protein mixtures.  Current devices for two dimensional gel electrophoresis are generally for analytical scale work and are not physically or procedurally adapted to accommodate preparative sample loads. Although other preparative electrophoresis devices do exist, they separate by either mass or charge alone and function as stand-alone units without ready integration into additional systems for resolution of individual proteins.

 

Applications: 

Protein sequencing, protein immunization for antibody production, immunostaining and other modes of protein characterization.

 

Development Status: 

The system has been tested and is operational; however some refinements in protein resolution are still possible which may involve procedural, reagent or equipment modifications.

 

Publication: 

BA Merrick, RM Patterson, LL Witcher, C He, JK Selkirk. Separation and sequencing of familiar and novel murine proteins using preparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis. 1994 May;15(5):735-745.  [PubMed abs]

U.S. Patent No. 5,534,121 issued 09 July 1996, claiming priority to 16 May 1994 (HHS Reference No. E-066-1994/0-US-01)

 

Inventors: 

B. Alex Merrick (NIEHS), Rachel Patterson (NIEHS), Robert Hall (NIEHS), Chaoying He (NIEHS), James Selkirk (NIEHS)

Licensees Sought:

Available for non-exclusive or exclusive licensing.

 

Collaborative Research Opportunity: 

The NIEHS National Center for Toxicogenomics, Proteomics Group, may consider statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this preparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system.  Please contact John Penta, NIEHS Office of Translational Research, at 919/541-3696 or penta@niehs.nih.gov for additional information.