Microheterogeneity of human erythrocyte pyruvate kinase: application of immunological visualization techniques after isoelectric focusing in ultrathin gels

Immunological methods for protein visualization afford high sensitivity, good specificity and resolution. We used the indirect immunoassay with peroxidase- and 125I-labelled antibodies to investigate the microheterogeneity of pyruvate kinase from human red blood cells and can show an enzyme pattern with more than 10 single bands. Different methods were tested as to their applicability for protein fixation and subsequent immunological visualization in polyacrylamide gels. Besides the Western blot, immunofixation and ethanolic fixation can be recommended as fixation techniques, especially after isoelectric focusing in ultrathin gels.