Friday 8 November 2013

Explaining The Complexities Of Protein Labeling

By Katrina Wheeler


The use of protein labeling in biological research is to get an understanding of the normal functioning of molecules and how it occurs. Protein which is made up of amino acids is a key nutrient for humans as well as other living creatures. A specific protein is selected along with a binding partner to label molecules.

Each area of the body functions differently and there are several different methods to get an understanding of each. For certain parts, fluorescent kits can help in this purpose. The specific area for testing largely determines the choice of the testing method.

A popular choice is biotin mainly due to its advantage of being able to bind with proteins like Neutravidin, avidin and streptavidin. Its interaction with material of a non covalent nature is effective which helps in processes like purification, detection and immobilization. The appearance of the enzyme level of biotin is smaller and intervention in its function is relatively not an issue.

Biotin is involved in a process called biotinylation comprising various phases of enzymes and chemicals. The chemical method gets preference as the specific reagents tend to be similar. Three groups comprising spacer arm, reactive group and biotinyl are required in this process.

With the perception of being larger to biotin, enzyme probes offer another alternative for labelling. Certain enzyme types have different reactions with specific components making them unique. With extended shelf life and being more versatile they are more effective in the detection of proteins in tissues and cells.

Enzyme products for label creation offer a range of choices for chemists for use in a variety of biological research. Additional substrates which are necessary for creating the specific signal also come in different options. Enzyme usage is also unique due to its suitability in complex processes like crosslinking and reductive animation, as well as in antibodies.

Fluorescent molecules or probes can also be used to label proteins due to their distinct reaction of the presence of light emitting a specific signal. In this case no additional reagents or substrates are required as they prove adequate on their own in any experiment. This advantage of fluorescent probes has been hailed as a breakthrough in the scientific detection, protein purification and vivo processes.

Lately the variations of fluorescent probes have increased markedly enhancing the versatility of their performance. Despite requiring equipment that is more specialized and sophisticated, they deliver superior results in this entire process from inception to completion. Therefore in comparison to the other methods of labeling, fluorescent products are a better bet.

There is need for research to keep pace with the advancing technology in molecular labeling so that the normal cell functioning is not affected. Chemists have accordingly reacted with a technique which requires a fluorophone attachment. They are smaller when compared to the regular fluorescent probes currently in use and have to be linked to another protein.

The result of the reaction that the two components produce is a stable link which could not be achieved earlier. Compatibility is an intrinsic factor when selecting the protein labeling method. It is this decision which will mainly determine the quality of the results of the experiment. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the right decision is made to avoid any mishaps later on.




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