[Isoelectric focusing of complex protein mixtures in the nanogram range in microgels (author's transl)]

A method is described for isolectric focusing of complex protein mixtures in 2, 5 or 10 mul capillaries. For one separation only 15- 50 ng of a protein mixture is needed. Isoelectric focusing is finished after 10 min, staining takes 20 min and destaining approximately 30 min. Using defined mixtures of Servalyt from different pH ranges, isoelectric focusing can be adapted to the protein sample to be fractionated. Protein peaks separated by isoelectric focusing can be electrophoretically eluted and for further analysis refractionated directly in a microgradient gel. The resolution power of microisoelectric focusing is as good as that of the wellknown macroprocedure, as is demonstrated by isoelectric focusing of the water soluble proteins from cerebellum and heart, of rat and human serum and of a human oncocytoma of the thyroid gland.