Capillary Isoelectric Focusing (CIEF)

CIEF is a technique commonly used to separate peptides and proteins. These molecules are called zwitterionic compounds because they contain both positive and negative charges. The charge depends on the functional groups attached to the main chain and the surrounding pH of the environment. In addition, each molecule has a specific isoelectric point (pI). When the surrounding pH is equal to this pI, the molecule carries no net charge. To be clear, it is not the pH value where a protein has all bases deprotonated and all acids protonated, but rather the value where positive and negative charges cancel out to zero. At a pH below the pI, the molecule is positive, and then negative when the pH is above the pI. Because the charge changes with pH, a pH gradient can be used to separate molecules in a mixture. During a CIEF separation, the capillary is filled with the sample in solution and typically no EOF is used (EOF is removed by using a coated capillary). When the voltage is applied, the ions will migrate to a region where they become neutral (pH=pI). The anodic end of the capillary sits in acidic solution (low pH), while the cathodic end sits in basic solution (high pH). Compounds of equal isoelectric points are “focused” into sharp segments and remain in their specific zone, which allows for their distinct detection.⁶