SIMPLE AND RAPID METHODS FOR DRYING POLYACRYLAMIDE GELS AFTER ISOELECTRIC-FOCUSING

Isoelectric focusing in compact flat polyacrylamide gels in receiving increasing attention as an excellent method for protein separation and characterization. Despite obvious advantages offered by this method, some inconvenience is experienced when preservation of the stained gels or their evaluation by autoradiography is considered. Stained flat polyacrylamide gels are most frequently preserved in a wet form, sealed in a plastic bag or immersed in a dilute solution of acetic acid. In addition to dye leakage from the stained zones, it is obviously rather difficult to keep a great number of gels in this way for future reference. A number of approaches, requiring various degrees of skill and sometimes special apparatus, has been suggested for drying the polyacrylamide gels. The methods described here are simple and rapid. Several gels can be dried simultaneously, and drying time does not exceed 1-2 h, both advantages which render the method attractive for routine operation. The methods can be applied with equal success to preservation of stained gels or to autoradiography. The dried gels are also suitable for densitometric evaluation.