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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

A Fast Silver Staining Protocol Enabling Simple and Efficient Detection of SSR Markers using a Non-denaturing Polyacrylamide Gel
10:27

A Fast Silver Staining Protocol Enabling Simple and Efficient Detection of SSR Markers using a Non-denaturing Polyacrylamide Gel

Published on: April 20, 2018

Detection of antigen in immune precipitates by silver staining of SDS-polyacrylamide gels

G Utter, M A Mufson, E Norrby

    Journal of Virological Methods
    |April 1, 1986
    PubMed

    Insights

    This study presents a rapid, inexpensive silver staining method to identify viral antigens. Monoclonal antibodies combined with this technique effectively identify structural components of measles and RS virus.

    Area of Science:

    • Immunology
    • Virology
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Identifying viral antigens is crucial for understanding viral infections and developing diagnostics.
    • Traditional methods for antigen identification can be time-consuming, expensive, or lack sensitivity.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To develop a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective method for identifying viral antigens.
    • To evaluate the efficacy of a silver staining technique combined with immune complexing using monoclonal antibodies.

    Main Methods:

    • Immune complexes were purified using Staphylococcus A protein.
    • Antigens were separated by SDS-PAGE and identified using Merril et al.'s silver staining technique.
    • Monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal sera were used for precipitation.

    Main Results:

    • The method successfully identified major structural components of measles and RS virus (28,000-79,000 Mr).
    • Identification was most effective with monoclonal antibodies, except when antigen molecular weight overlapped with immunoglobulin chains.
    • Polyclonal sera were less effective due to higher background staining.

    Conclusions:

    • Combining silver staining with monoclonal antibody immune complexing offers a sensitive, high-resolution, and rapid approach for viral antigen identification.
    • This technique is particularly useful for identifying specific viral antigens, despite potential challenges with overlapping molecular weights.
    • The method is a cost-effective alternative for virological research and diagnostics.

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