Electroblotting of multiple gels: a simple apparatus without buffer tank for rapid transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide to nitrocellulose.

A simple, horizontal device for rapid electrophoretic transfer of proteins from several polyacrylamide gels simultaneously is described. Up to six 'TRANS-UNITS' consisting of soaked filter paper on either side of polyacrylamide gel/nitrocellulose sheets that are separated by dialysis membranes are stacked between graphite plate electrodes. The only buffer reservoir in the apparatus is that in stacked, soaked filter paper. A special buffer system based on the isotachophoresis theory was developed for this purpose. The electrophoretic transfer was performed with equal efficiency in all TRANS-UNITS of the stack. Only traces of a few proteins remained in the polyacrylamide gel after transfer. With this apparatus, 50 protein bands from a human serum protein sample (diluted 1 : 100) were detected by immunoblotting with the retainment of the high resolution of the SDS-PAGE technique. The apparatus provided a constant current density of 0.8 mA/cm2 during the 1-h transfer time at 21 degrees C, irrespective of the number of TRANS-UNITS. The apparatus generated 1-5 W in joule heat, depending on the number of TRANS-UNITS in the stack.