A HIGHLY SENSITIVE METHOD FOR DETECTION OF HEPATITIS-A VIRUS STRUCTURAL PROTEINS

A modified technique of protein staining with silver nitrate was employed in electrophoretic analysis of hepatitis A virus structural proteins. The modifications of the original technique, i. e. through washing of the gel, increased formaldehyde concentration and a more intensive lighting of the gel, have elevated the method sensitivity 10-fold permitting the detection of up to 0.1 ng protein. The modification has allowed detection of VP1, VP2, and VP3 structural proteins with molecular masses 33, 29, and 27 kD, respectively, in virus preparations of low concentrations.