Eletroforese: conceitos e aplicações

Abstract

Electrophoresis is a simple laboratory technique that fractionates proteins present in various types of fluid, taking into consideration its electrical cargo and / or its molecular weight. The technique uses electrophoretic and eletroendosmotic forces, where a positive pole (anode) and negative (cathode) generate an electrical potential, which promotes protein migration, generating different bands, represented by albumin and alpha, beta and gamma globulins. Two electrophoresis methods are currently used, namely: conventional electrophoresis by zone and capillary electrophoresis. In the first method, proteins migrate through the pores present in substrates such as cellulose acetate, agarose or polyacrylamide gel, proteins that perform zones in the electrophoretogram. In the second, proteins are separated by size and other physical and chemical properties, flow through a capillary tube. In veterinary medicine, in addition, it can be used in the clinic, contributing to the diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases. The technique has been used in several other areas, having broad applicability in different situations. Thus, the objective of this paper is to present a brief review of the protein electrophoresis, highlighting the main existing technical and fractionated proteins, as well as their application and importance in veterinary medicine.