A protein microarray consists of purified proteins or peptides spotted in defined positions on a glass or nitrocellulose surface. Patient serum or another probe is incubated on the array. Unbound material is washed off, and bound material is then detected, often using a biotin-conjugated secondary antibody followed by a streptavidin-fluorophore. The signal at each spot is read on a fluorescence scanner, and its position identifies the target protein.
Antibody & Protein Arrays
Protein Microarrays for Autoantibody Profiling and Interaction Screening
Protein microarrays for autoantibody profiling and protein interaction screening
Protein microarrays present recombinant human proteins at defined positions on a glass slide, so you can probe a serum or plasma sample against many targets in one experiment. Autoimmune disease IgG autoantibody arrays are available in multiple sample-kit formats (for example 8- and 16-sample kits), so you can profile autoantibodies linked to autoimmune conditions from a single serum experiment.
Protein microarrays differ from antibody arrays in what is printed. Antibody arrays capture analytes from solution. Protein arrays present known proteins as targets for probing with a patient sample, antibody, or binding partner. This makes them well suited to autoantibody discovery. Serum IgG from a patient binds to the subset of printed proteins it recognises, and you can compare the resulting binding pattern against healthy controls or disease cohorts.
For broader coverage, larger custom and receptor protein arrays, for example covering hundreds of human receptors, are available on request for your target list.
Choosing a Protein Array Approach
- If you are profiling autoantibodies in serum or plasma from patient samples against known autoimmune disease targets: autoimmune disease IgG autoantibody arrays are available in multiple sample-kit formats, for example 8- and 16-sample kits, to match your cohort size.
- If you need to map which proteins a specific antibody or binding partner recognises: larger custom and receptor protein arrays, for example covering hundreds of human receptors, are available on request.
- If your goal is cytokine or secreted protein quantification rather than interaction screening: antibody arrays using matched sandwich pairs are the more practical format for your solution-phase analytes.
- If you are comparing autoantibody patterns between disease cohorts: the array format generates a binding signature per sample. Statistical comparison between groups then identifies differentially reactive proteins as candidate biomarkers.
Applications
Autoantibody profiling and biomarker discovery
Protein microarrays flag autoimmune signatures and candidate biomarkers, confirmed by orthogonal methods such as ELISA and quantitative arrays, fitting your workflow.
Protein interaction mapping
Interaction arrays present immobilised proteins to map binding partners for an antibody, ligand, or signalling protein across the printed protein panel; custom protein arrays extend coverage for your target.
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Protein Arrays
Protein Microarrays for Autoantibody Profiling and Interaction Screening
Frequently asked questions
Serum or plasma is the standard sample for autoantibody arrays, because circulating IgG autoantibodies are present in blood. Diluted sample is incubated on the array, and bound autoantibodies are then detected using a biotin-conjugated secondary antibody followed by a streptavidin-fluorophore, with the signal read on a fluorescence scanner. Each spot intensity reflects the relative abundance of that specificity in the sample.
A protein microarray uses immobilised antigens or proteins to capture a binding partner from solution, for example an autoantibody from serum. A cytokine antibody array uses immobilised antibodies to capture their target cytokines directly from a sample. The two formats answer complementary questions: what a sample binds (protein array) versus which analytes are present in solution (antibody array).
Yes. Running serum from disease and control cohorts on the same antigen array identifies proteins that are differentially recognised between groups. Hits from the array screen are then validated by orthogonal methods such as ELISA or western blot. The multiplex nature of the array means you can test many candidate biomarkers at once from a small sample volume.
Parent category: Protein arrays
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