Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 29, 815-818, Copyright © 1988 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Localization of lipoprotein unesterified cholesterol in nondenaturing gradient gels with filipin
M Lefevre
Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112-2822.
A method is described for the staining of lipoprotein unesterified
cholesterol in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gels with the
fluorescent polyene antibiotic, filipin. The sensitivity of the filipin
stain was comparable to that of oil red O and Coomassie R250 in terms of
the amount of lipoprotein applied. Filipin successfully stained discoidal
complexes of apoA-I-phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol, which in turn were
stained poorly with oil red O. The potential for the identification of
unesterified cholesterol-enriched lipoprotein subclasses was demonstrated.