Which technique can be used to identify a protein of interest after a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis experiment?
A) DNA microarray
B) Treatment with reverse transcriptase to isolate the DNA of interest
C) BLAST analysis
D) Mass spectrometry

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mass spectrometry is commonly used to identify proteins of interest after a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis experiment. In this technique, the protein of interest is excised from the gel, digested into smaller peptide fragments, and then analyzed using mass spectrometry to determine the amino acid sequence. This sequence can then be used to identify the protein through database searches. A DNA microarray would not be useful for identifying a protein of interest, as it is a technique used to study gene expression. Treatment with reverse transcriptase is used to convert RNA into cDNA, and would not be useful for identifying a protein of interest. BLAST analysis is a tool used for comparing DNA or protein sequences, and could be used to identify a protein if a known sequence is available for comparison, but mass spectrometry is a more direct method for protein identification.

Which Technique Can Be Used to Identify a Protein of Interest