Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of peripheral nerve proteins: Optimized sample preparation

For proteomic analysis, sample preparation plays a crucial role in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), since, very often, each tissue or cell culture requires specific treatments. In the present paper, we report a sample preparation procedure suitable for 2DE that was done on peripheral nerve using bovine sciatic nerves and human sural nerve biopsies. We obtained an appreciable reduction of tissue heterogeneity using protein extracts obtained from nerve-fiber bundles instead of the entire nerve. In addition, we optimized 2DE protein separation using a combination of CHAPS, Triton X-100, and SB3-10 detergents in an isoelectric-focusing (IEF) buffer. The reported experimental procedures appear to be essential for 2DE separation of peripheral nerve proteins for the establishment of a reference map. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.