Secrets of protiens

Electrophoresis:
The property of migration of protein molecules in an electric field has been utilised by Tiselius for electrophoretic method for the separation of protein molecules. Protein solution in an alkaline buffer has maximum number of negative charges and so the pro­tein molecules move towards the positive pole. Different protein molecules, due to the presence of charged particles in different amounts, move towards the pole at different rates which can be optically measured.
This complicated procedure has been simpli­fied by application on paper. Here a strip of filter paper is moist­ened with suitable buffer and placed in between two glass plates The free ends of the paper dip into two small reservoirs of buffer solution, and either positive or negative electrode is placed in each of them. On passing electric current the protein molecules migrate towards the anode. After definite time interval, the paper is taken put and washed, and a suitable stain is applied to localise the presence of difference in protein molecules (Fig. 2.1).