OUR OBSESSION WITH HIGH-RESOLUTION IN GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS - DOES IT NECESSARILY GIVE THE RIGHT ANSWER

Poor resolution of protein zones in an electrophoretic pattern may not necessarily be the result of poor technique. The example is given of the 'streak material', extracted from wheat flour, now recognised to b e aggregated subunits of glutenin. The size distribution of the aggreg ated glutenin 'streak' is the key to elucidating the functional proper ties of wheaten dough. A stepped-layer gel technique has been devised to quantitate the proportions of aggregated glutenin in specific size groupings.