Five major isoelectric focusing (IEF) parameters--volt-hours; concentrations of acrylamide, NaOH, and H3PO4; and equilibration time--were systematically varied to determine the effect of each on two-dimensional IEF/sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel patterns and to optimize IEF conditions. Alterations in each parameter affected the gel pattern, frequently causing uncertainty in the identification of spots between conditions. The results emphasize the need for internal analytical consistency, and indicate that gel pattern comparisons between laboratories can be complicated if different IEF conditions are employed. The systematic evaluation indicated that optimized patterns were obtained when increased concentrations of NaOH and H3PO4 (to 50 and 25 mM, respectively) and run durations of 10,000 V-h or longer were used.
