Electrophoretic transfer of proteins across polyacrylamide membranes

The electrophoretic transfer of purified proteins has been examined in a Gradiflow "Babyflow BF100" unit. A number of factors affect protein separation within this preparative electrophoresis system. We established that the rate of protein transfer was proportional to the applied voltage. The transfer is slowest at the isoelectric point (pI) and increased the further away the pH was from the pI of the protein. Protein transfer was found to be independent of the ionic strength of the buffer, for buffers that excluded the addition of strong acids or strong bases or sodium chloride. Transfer decreased as the pore size of the membrane decreased. Finally, transfer was inhibited at high salt concentrations in the protein solution, but remained unaffected when urea and non-ionic detergents were added to the solution. To increase the speed of protein separations, buffers with low conductivity should be used. A pH for the optimal separation should be selected on the basis of the relative pI and size of the target proteins and that of the major contaminants.