UV-TRANSPARENT, REPLACEABLE AGAROSE GELS FOR MOLECULAR-SIEVE (CAPILLARY) ELECTROPHORESIS OF PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC-ACIDS

Gels of methoxylated agarose (gelling point 25.6 degrees C) and other low-melting agarose derivatives compare favorably with cross-linked po lyacrylamide gels for capillary and slab molecular-sieve electrophores is of proteins and DNA. These agarose gels can be pressed out of the c apillary following a run and replaced by an agarose solution with a te mperature of 35-40 degrees C. Gelation occurs upon lowering the temper ature and the same capillary can thus be reused for another analysis w ith a fresh gel. The methoxylated, non UV-absorbing agarose gels are, accordingly, replaceable, which makes them very attractive for series analyses with modern, automated capillary electrophoresis apparatus. T he high resolution of these agarose gels is demonstrated with a separa tion of an albumin sample into monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers, p entamers, hexamers, heptamers, and of DNA fragments.