Application of Gelatin Zymography in Nanotoxicity Research

Gelatin zymography is a relatively simple, inexpensive, and powerful technique to detect proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading gelatin from various biological sources. It has been used particularly to detect the two members of the matrix metalloproteinase family, MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B), due to their potent gelatin-degrading activity. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are also able to degrade a number of extracellular matrix molecules including type IV, V, and XI collagens, laminin, and aggrecan core protein, thus making them important in the nanotoxicity research. In this technique, proteins are separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and gelatinases, activated by SDS, digest gelatin embedded in the gel. After staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250, areas of degradation are visible as clear bands against a blue-stained background. Here, we describe the detailed procedure for gelatin zymography.