Gel electrophoresis of polystyrene particles in glutaraldehyde crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol

Pulsed-field acceleration: the electrophoretic behavior of large spherical particles in agarose gels

In agarose gel electrophoresis, periodically inverting or interrupting the applied field may greatly accelerate the migration of polystyrene microspheres, in a manner varying with pulse times, and the observed zones are made sharper. The particles concerned are just large enough that under constant field they appear not to enter the gel at all or to migrate very slowly: and merely lowering the applied field may also enhance their electrophoretic migration, though to a lesser extent than with field pulsing. These effects may be accounted for by gel mesh flexibility which, varying with the nature of the migrating species, may either help or hinder migration.

Capillary electrophoresis of DNA restriction fragments with solutions of entangled polymers

Separation of DNA restriction fragments in dilute buffer solutions of network forming polymers such as linear polyacrylamide (PAA), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) in phosphate buffer were investigated. PVA in buffers already became inhomogeneous after a few separations with resultant deterioration of resolution. Hydroxylic polymers, capable of forming suitable networks in buffers, are strongly adsorbed to fused silica surfaces suppressing the electroosmotic flow. These polymers could be applied as surface modifiers in capillaries, filled with buffer media containing other polymers such as PAA. Suppression of the electroosmotic flow by adsorbed HEC at pH 7 was slightly more effective than with PVA but the former coating was less stable due to weaker binding to the fused silica surface. Good separations of restriction fragments could be achieved with solutions of PAA or HEC as separation media after surface pretreatment of fused silica capillaries by either PVA rinsing or coating according to Hjertén.

Polyhydroxy and polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate polymers: physical properties and general studies for their use as electrophoresis matrices

A new series of materials have been tested for their suitability as electrophoresis matrices. The mechanical and optical properties of gels composed of polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate esters or polyhydroxy (meth)acrylate esters in water and in various concentrations of organic solvents are described. Several crosslinkers including polyethyleneglycol and polyhydroxy di(meth)acrylates, piperazine diacrylate, and bisacrylamide were used in these studies. Electrophoretic migration and separation of a series of protein standards through polyethyleneglycol methacrylate (PEGM) 200, PEGM 400, and glyceryl methacrylate is demonstrated. Further, copolymerization of all of the monomers with acrylamide was performed and the distribution of monomer incorporation into the polymer network calculated. All monomers and copolymers that were examined by IR spectroscopy showed greater than 99% polymerization. These results justify their further study for biomolecule separations.