National Cancer Institute (source definition)
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
A molecular biology technique used to detect the interaction of a DNA binding protein with its cognate binding sequence. Labeled DNAs were reacted with crude cell extracts and the complexes are run through a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. The migration of the labeled DNA through the gel will be slower by being bound. This shift in electrophoretic mobility indicates functional binding between the protein and the DNA.
Review and references
Automated source check (NCI definition)
2026-10-20
2026-10-20
professional use
What it is
A molecular biology technique used to detect the interaction of a DNA binding protein with its cognate binding sequence. Labeled DNAs were reacted with crude cell extracts and the complexes are run through a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. The migration of the labeled DNA through the gel will be slower by being bound. This shift in electrophoretic mobility indicates functional binding between the protein and the DNA.
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C19362. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-20. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Compliance note
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.