Analysis of hapten-carrier protein conjugates by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis

Hapten-carrier protein conjugates were made using five different small haptens (MW < 1000), two carrier proteins and two methods of conjugation. Nondenaturing Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to demonstrate that when as few as two molecules of a small hapten are attached to the carrier, the conjugate band migrates differently from that of the carrier alone or of the coupling reagent-treated carrier. Furthermore, the direction of the change in migration of each conjugate correlates with the change in charge which occurs upon attachment of the hapten to the carrier.