a Istituto di Biologia dello Sviluppo, C.N.R., Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
b Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università di Palermo, Parco d’Orleans II, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Abstract:
In this paper the use of voltage gradient gel electrophoresis (VGGE) in the electrophoretic analysis of apoptotic DNAs is described. The peculiarity of VGGE fractionation in enhancing DNA bands in the gel by reducing their thickness was used to obtain a rapid, more selective and higher-quality electrophoretic fractionation of apoptotic DNA with respect to conventional electrophoresis. The use of VGGE fractionations also allowed a reduced amount of DNA to be used to detect a characteristic apoptotic DNA ladder pattern, in a lower agarose gel concentration, with respect to conventional electrophoretic fractionation