Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Definition

A laboratory technique that separates biological macromolecules—principally proteins or nucleic acids—by driving them through a polyacrylamide gel matrix under an electric field. Separation depends on electrophoretic mobility, which is governed by molecular size (length), conformation, and net charge. PAGE offers higher resolution than agarose gel electrophoresis for smaller molecules and is widely employed for analytical and preparative work in arthropod molecular biology.

Etymology

Example

Arachnologists use PAGE to profile venom proteins from different scorpion species, revealing distinct banding patterns that correlate with toxicity and help distinguish cryptic taxa.

Synonyms

• PAGE

Related Terms

• agarose gel electrophoresis
• SDS-PAGE
• Proteomics
• electrophoretic mobility
• molecular marker
• isozyme analysis

Usage Notes

Often abbreviated PAGE; distinguished from agarose gel electrophoresis by matrix composition and typical applications. SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate PAGE) denatures proteins and separates primarily by mass, whereas native PAGE preserves conformation and separates by charge-to-mass ratio. In entomology, PAGE has historically been important for isozyme studies to assess population genetic structure and detect insecticide resistance alleles before PCR-based methods became standard.