title: Protein extracts from cultured cells contain nonspecific serum albumin.
abstract: Serum is an important component of cell culture media. The present study demonstrates contamination of intracellular protein extract by bovine serum albumin from the culture media and illustrates how this contamination can cause the misinterpretation of western blot results. Preliminary experiments can prevent the misinterpretation of some experimental results, and optimization of the washing process may enable specific protein detection.
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.|b Japan Society for the Promotion of Science , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyara
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.|b Japan Society for the Promotion of Science , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanoh
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Yaichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kotake
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohta
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry; D003470:Culture Media; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D015870:Gene Expression; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071456:Sequestosome-1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000032:analysis*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D003470:Culture Media; C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C099718:SQSTM1 protein, human; D000071456:Sequestosome-1 Protein; C064972:TFEB protein, human; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: autophagy; cell extract; contamination; serum albumin; starvation