title: Western immunoblotting: temperature-dependent reduction in background staining.
abstract: The effect of incubation temperature on the background staining of Western blots with monoclonal antibodies to a human milk protein, alpha-lactalbumin (Mr 14,500), is presented. Human milk proteins were electrophoretically separated and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes which were then blocked with bovine serum albumin, "BLOTTO", casein, or Tween 20. They were subsequently incubated with mouse monoclonal antibody to human alpha-lactalbumin, biotinylated anti-mouse antibody, strepavidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complexes and a substrate containing diaminobenzidine and nickel chloride. Reduction of incubation temperature from 37 degrees C to 22 degrees C and 4 degrees C was found to decrease the extent of non-specific background staining independent of the type of blocking reagent used. Good specific staining with minimal background was found using 0.1% Tween 20 in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.2, as blocking agent and incubation temperatures of 4 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Monash Medical School, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Thean
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Toh
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007768:Lactalbumin / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000032:analysis*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007768:Lactalbumin