ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of methods of protein analysis, including protein separation by chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques, and the production and application of antisera and monoclonal antibodies. Fundamental to the biochemical and immunological analysis of protein variations during normal and abnormal development is a general understanding of protein structure. The structure of a given protein depends not only on the primary sequence of its amino acids but also on the internal non-covalent interactions of amino acids making up different parts of the protein as a result of charge or hydrophobic interactions. These various types of interactions result in changes in size, shape, charge, and hydrophobicity of proteins which again can be exploited in the analysis of their expression patterns. Gel electrophoresis is probably the single most powerful method for the analysis of complex protein mixtures when one considers both sensitivity and resolution.
