Detection of radioactively labeled proteins is quenched by silver staining methods: quenching is minimal for 14C and partially reversible for 3H with a photochemical stain

Silver staining methods for protein detection in polyacrylamide gels have a quenching effect on autoradiography and fluorography. This effect was quantitated for proteins in two-dimensional gels by microdensitometry using a computer equipped with an image processor and by scintillation counting of proteins solubilized from the gels. The original histologically derived silver stain had a quenching effect that was severe and irreversible for 3H detection and moderate for 14C detection. A silver stain based on photochemical methods had minimal quenching of 14C detection and less of a quenching effect than the histological stain for 3H detection. The 3H quenching effect was partially reversible for the photochemical stain