DETECTION OF CELLS USING MOLECULAR ELECTROPHORETIC CHANGE

摘要

The activity of encogenic intercellular chemical reactions of molecules is measured by the use of fluorescently labeled substrate molecules that underdo a change in electrophoretic mobility upon a chemical reaction such as that catalyzed by an enzyme or kinase. Specificity is achieved by using labeled substrate molecules that can be acted upon only by specific oncogenic enzymes can be determined. Measurements are made with the intercellular presence of such substrate molecules, at some time of interest. To ensure accuracy, measurements must be made in a timely manner so as to minimize chemical reactions occuring subsequent to the time of interest. Fast controllable laser lysis is used to obtain the contents of said cell or cells into which reporter substrate molecules have been introduced. The cell contents are then subjected to capillary electrophoresis and oncogenic enzymatic activity is determined by comparing amounts of unaltered substrate molecules to the amounts of altered substrate molecules which are separated by the electrophoresis and identified by the presence of a fluorescent label.