Staining proteins in gels

This unit describes protocols for detecting protein in a gel by either Coomassie blue staining or silver staining. The former is easier and more rapid; however, silver staining methods are considerably more sensitive and thus can be used to detect smaller amounts of protein. Alternate rapid staining procedures are provided for each method and a support protocol describes how to photograph stained gels. Fluorescent staining is a popular alternative to traditional staining procedures, mainly because it is more sensitive than Coomassie staining, and often as sensitive as silver staining. Staining of proteins in SDS-polyacrylamide gels is described, and an alternate protocol details variations in the procedure for proteins in nondenaturing gels. A final support protocol describes the photography of fluorescently stained proteins.