Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.

Western blotting has been a pivotal method for analyzing protein expression since the late 1970s, yet there is no established consensus on an optimal normalization strategy. In this study, primary mature human adipocytes were used to investigate the robustness of housekeeping proteins and total prot...

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Main Authors: Leo J S Westerberg, Benjamin Dedic, Erik Näslund, Anders Thorell, Kirsty L Spalding
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328136
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author Leo J S Westerberg
Benjamin Dedic
Erik Näslund
Anders Thorell
Kirsty L Spalding
author_facet Leo J S Westerberg
Benjamin Dedic
Erik Näslund
Anders Thorell
Kirsty L Spalding
author_sort Leo J S Westerberg
collection DOAJ
description Western blotting has been a pivotal method for analyzing protein expression since the late 1970s, yet there is no established consensus on an optimal normalization strategy. In this study, primary mature human adipocytes were used to investigate the robustness of housekeeping proteins and total protein (TP) as normalization references for western blotting. TP exhibited the lowest variance among technical replicates compared to all investigated housekeeping proteins and was a superior normalization reference for the chosen protein-of-interest. TP also demonstrated the closest alignment with expected values when loaded as a protein gradient, highlighting the dynamic strength of TP as a normalization standard. Additionally, TP consistently demonstrated lower intra- and inter-individual variability in comparison to housekeeping proteins investigated across three metabolically similar individuals. In conclusion, TP normalization is the preferred method for reliable protein expression analysis in primary mature human adipocytes.
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institution Kabale University
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series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-d431a13569644e7bb26d5e8dd68d86fa2025-08-20T03:32:04ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01207e032813610.1371/journal.pone.0328136Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.Leo J S WesterbergBenjamin DedicErik NäslundAnders ThorellKirsty L SpaldingWestern blotting has been a pivotal method for analyzing protein expression since the late 1970s, yet there is no established consensus on an optimal normalization strategy. In this study, primary mature human adipocytes were used to investigate the robustness of housekeeping proteins and total protein (TP) as normalization references for western blotting. TP exhibited the lowest variance among technical replicates compared to all investigated housekeeping proteins and was a superior normalization reference for the chosen protein-of-interest. TP also demonstrated the closest alignment with expected values when loaded as a protein gradient, highlighting the dynamic strength of TP as a normalization standard. Additionally, TP consistently demonstrated lower intra- and inter-individual variability in comparison to housekeeping proteins investigated across three metabolically similar individuals. In conclusion, TP normalization is the preferred method for reliable protein expression analysis in primary mature human adipocytes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328136
spellingShingle Leo J S Westerberg
Benjamin Dedic
Erik Näslund
Anders Thorell
Kirsty L Spalding
Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
PLoS ONE
title Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
title_full Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
title_fullStr Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
title_full_unstemmed Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
title_short Superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes.
title_sort superior normalization using total protein for western blot analysis of human adipocytes
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328136
work_keys_str_mv AT leojswesterberg superiornormalizationusingtotalproteinforwesternblotanalysisofhumanadipocytes
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AT andersthorell superiornormalizationusingtotalproteinforwesternblotanalysisofhumanadipocytes
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