MOBILITY SHIFT ASSAYS Meaning and
Definition
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Mobility shift assays, also known as gel shift assays or bandshift assays, are laboratory techniques used to study interactions between proteins and nucleic acids, such as DNA or RNA. These assays are based on the principle that when a nucleic acid molecule binds to a protein, it results in a change in its electrophoretic mobility, or its ability to move through a gel matrix under an electric field.
In a typical mobility shift assay, a DNA or RNA fragment of interest is labeled with a radioactive or fluorescent tag and incubated with a protein sample. The mixture is then subjected to gel electrophoresis, where it is loaded into a gel matrix and an electric field is applied. The nucleic acid-protein complex has a different size and shape compared to the unbound nucleic acid, which leads to a change in its migration pattern, resulting in a shift in its band position within the gel. This shift can be detected and visualized using autoradiography or fluorescence imaging.
Mobility shift assays are commonly used to investigate protein-DNA or protein-RNA interactions, including transcription factor binding to specific DNA sequences, RNA binding proteins binding to RNA molecules, or protein-protein interactions involving nucleic acids. They provide valuable information about the binding affinity, specificity, and kinetics of these interactions. Moreover, mobility shift assays can be utilized to screen for potential drugs or small molecules that may disrupt or modulate these interactions, making them important tools in drug discovery and development research.
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