Measuring protein levels in planarians using western blotting
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Updated: Nov 20, 2025

Robust Comparison of Protein Levels Across Tissues and Throughout Development Using Standardized Quantitative Western Blotting
Published on: April 9, 2019
Benjamin Ziman1,2, Néstor J Oviedo1,2,3
1Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.
Abstract:
In the planarian field, two techniques are mostly used for protein detection: immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting. While IHC is great for visualizing the spatial distribution of proteins in whole organisms, it has limitations in antibody availability and issues related to nonspecific expression. The use of western blotting can circumvent nonspecific expression, providing a dependable way to quantify proteins of interest. Here, we present a standardized, easily reproducible protocol with details on protein extractions of whole planarians and western blotting. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ziman et al. (2020a).

