Lowry protein assay containing sodium dodecyl sulfate in microtiter plates for protein determinations on fractions from brain tissue.

A modified Lowry protein assay which contains sodium dodecyl sulfate (Markwell et al., 1978, Anal. Biochem. 87, 207-210) has been adapted for use in 96-well microtiter plates. A spectrophotometer interfaced with a computer is used to plot the standard curve and calculate the protein content of each sample. The method is suitable for measuring 4-40 micrograms of protein/assay in a volume of 50 microliters. There was no need for prior solubilization of proteins which had been extracted from brain tissue. Test samples, up to 21 in triplicate, can be tested on a single microtiter plate plus standards. Alternatively, further samples can be tested separately on extra plates using the standard curve from the original plate for calculations.