Western Immunoblots is a laboratory technique commonly used in protein biochemistry. The spelling of this word can be broken down into individual sounds using IPA phonetic transcription as "wɛstərn ɪmjʊnoʊblɑts." The "w" sound at the beginning represents the "w" sound in "west," while the "ɛ" sound represents the "e" sound in "test." The "j" sound represents the "y" sound in "yellow," and the "ʊ" sound represents the "oo" sound in "book." The rest of the word follows similar phonetic patterns, facilitating correct spelling and pronunciation.
Western immunoblots, also known as Western blotting or protein immunoblotting, are a widely used laboratory technique in molecular biology and biochemistry for the qualitative and quantitative detection of specific proteins in complex biological samples. It is a variation of the classic blotting technique that allows researchers to identify specific protein bands within a mixture of proteins.
The process of Western immunoblots involves several steps. Firstly, proteins are separated by size using gel electrophoresis, usually in a polyacrylamide gel. This separates the proteins based on their molecular weight. The separated proteins are then transferred from the gel onto a solid membrane, typically made of nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). This transfer ensures that the protein bands maintain their relative positions on the membrane.
Next, the membrane is blocked with a blocking agent to prevent non-specific binding of antibodies. Following blocking, the membrane is incubated with primary antibodies that specifically recognize and bind to the target protein of interest. After thorough washing to remove unbound antibody, the membrane is further incubated with secondary antibodies that are conjugated to an enzyme or a fluorescent dye. These secondary antibodies bind to the primary antibodies and allow for detection of the protein bands of interest.
Lastly, the membrane is visualized by adding a substrate that reacts with the enzyme conjugated to the secondary antibody or by using fluorescent detection methods. This generates either a colored band or fluorescence signal at the location of the target protein bands, which can then be analyzed and quantified using specialized imaging systems.
Western immunoblots are essential tools in various research areas, including cellular and molecular biology, genetics, immunology, and cancer research. They enable the identification, characterization, and quantification of specific proteins in complex biological mixtures and
The word "Western immunoblots" is a combination of two terms: "Western" and "immunoblots".
The term "Western" in this context refers to the technique known as Western blotting, which was developed by George Stark and colleagues in 1979. This technique is used to detect specific proteins in a sample, and it involves the separation of proteins based on their size through gel electrophoresis, followed by their transfer onto a membrane for immobilization. The term "Western" was coined to distinguish this technique from the earlier developed Southern blotting technique used to detect specific DNA sequences.
The term "immunoblots" combines the word "immuno", derived from the Latin term "immunis" meaning "exempt" or "free", and "blots", which refers to the transferred proteins on the membrane in the Western blotting technique.