Benefits of advanced gel electrophoresis data analysis methods

Significantly more information can be obtained if sample mobilities are measured at several gel concentrations (%T) and evaluated on the basis of a mathematical-physical model. This allows one to exploit differences in particle size, charge and shape, and results in the following advantages: (i) Charge and size isomers of proteins can be detected. It is possible to separate components of similar size, but different surface net charge density. (ii) Samples yielding patterns with no discernible peaks can be evaluated to produce size and charge distribution profiles, as shown for protein-conjugated meningitis vaccines. Particle distributions are calculated from 2-D Serwer-type gels. (iii) Different DNA conformations are recognized and reasonable size estimates are available for anomalously migrating DNA species (e.g., bent kinetoplast DNA) or DNA complexes (nucleosome core particles).