Discrimination of fetal bovine serum from other sera by silver staining or lectin blotting of SDS/PAGE-separated serum proteins.
In order to develop a methodology to discriminate fetal bovine serum from other sera with which it might be contaminated, proteins from fetal bovine, newborn calf, colostrum-free newborn, and calf sera were separated by SDS/PAGE and analyzed by silver staining of the gels or lectin blotting, using concanavalin A (Con A), following transfer of the proteins to nitrocellulose. A high molecular weight Con A-reactive glycoprotein of an apparent molecular mass greater than 200,000 daltons was present in newborn, colostrum-free, and calf sera, but absent or at a significantly lower concentration in fetal serum. These two methods accurately and reliably identified contamination of fetal serum with other sera in a series of blind studies on unknown, coded samples. As little as 1% colostrum-free serum in a batch of fetal serum can be detected by either procedure.
Department of Microbiology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037.
J M
JM
Bockman
D000818:Animals; D001797:Blood Protein Electrophoresis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003470:Culture Media / Q000032:analysis*; D005333:Fetus; D012834:Silver; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D001798:Blood Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D003208:Concanavalin A; D012834:Silver