Classification
Detergents
Introduction
The phospholipid bilayer is the basic structure of the cell membrane. The most important functions of cells include transportation of substances, energy exchange, and transmission of information. These functions are conducted at the cell membrane by membrane proteins.
In membrane biochemistry research, membrane proteins are solubilized and purified to study their structure and function. Proteins bound to cell membranes have hydrophobic sites buried within the phospholipid bilayers and hydrophilic sites facing toward the water layer. Detergents are used to isolate large insoluble molecules such as proteins.Detergents interact with the hydrophobic sites of proteins, which are then solubilized in the water layer, thus separating membrane proteins. It is important to choose a detergent that does not disrupt the bioactivities of target proteins. A detergent requires the following characteristics to be suitable for isolation of membrane proteins:
Sufficient protein solubilization capability
No denaturing or inactivation of proteins
No interference with protein activities
No precipitation at 4°C
Appropriate critical micelle concentrations (CMC) and micelle size
No absorption in the UV region
No toxicity
Availability of detergent detection methods
Non-ionic detergent if ion exchange chromatography is used
In the past, polyoxyethylene ether non-ionic detergents were widely used. These detergents, however, had several problems, such as denaturation of proteins and low CMC value, which cannot be separated easily by dialysis. n-Octyl- β-D-glucoside, n-Octyl-β-D-thioglucoside, CHAPS, and CHAPSO eliminate these problems and are widely used today. Most of the current detergents are non-ionic and easily applied to ion exchange chromatography purification. deoxy-BIGCHAP is a non-ionic detergent possessing deoxycholic acid and a gluconamide polar group. It has a high CMC value of 1.4 mmol/l and can be easily separated by dialysis. Because its UV absorbance is low, it can be used for the determination of proteins. deoxy-BIGCHAP has been used for the extraction of opioid receptors from neuroblastoma or hybrid cells of glyoma. It has also been applied to adenylate cyclase or acetyltransferase. These detergents are also widely used to solubilize chromophores or to stabilize enzymes in diagnostic analyses and biochemical assays.
Trials of various kinds of detergents are needed to find the appropriate detergent for each study. Dojindo’s Detergent Screening Sets, which contain assorted packages of detergents, are available for use in these trials.
Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC)
Detergents are amphipathic compounds, with both lipophobic and lipophilic sites, that will form micelles above a critical concentration, CMC, that is specific to each detergent. The solubilizing abilities of detergents increase dramatically above their CMC values. After they extract membrane proteins, detergents can be easily removed by dilution and then dialysis.
| Table 1 Molecular weight and critical micelle concentration of detergents | ||
| Detergent | MW | CMC |
|---|---|---|
| CHAPS | 614.88 | 8 mmol/l |
| CHAPSO | 630.88 | 8 mmol/l |
| BIGCHAP | 878.06 | 2.9 mmol/l |
| Deoxy BIGCHAP | 862.06 | 1.4 mmol/l |
| Octylglucoside | 292.37 | 25 mmol/l |
| Heptylthioglucoside | 294.41 | 30 mmol/l |
| Octylthioglucoside | 308.44 | 9 mmol/l |
| Decylmaltoside | 482.57 | 1.8 mmol/l |
| Dodecylmaltoside | 510.62 | 0.17 mmol/l |
| Nonylthiomaltoside | 484.60 | 2.4 mmol/l |
| MEGA-8 | 321.41 | - |
| MEGA-9 | 335.44 | 25 mmol/l |
| MEGA-10 | 349.46 | 7 mmol/l |
| Sodium cholate | 448.57 | 14 mmol/l |
Product
- Detergents
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Code Product name Unit size B043 Detergent
BIGCHAP1 g
5 gC008 Detergent
CHAPS1 g
5 g
25 g
100 gC020 Detergent
CHAPSO1 g
5 gC321 Detergent
Sodium cholate (purified)5 g
25 gD045 Detergent
deoxy-BIGCHAP500 mg D316 Detergent
n-Dodecyl-β-D-maltoside1 g
5 g
25 gD382 Detergent
n-Decyl-β-D-maltoside1 g
5 gD520 Detergent
Sodium deoxycholate (for protein crystallization)1 g
H015 Detergent
n-Heptyl-β-D-thioglucoside1 g
5 gM014 Detergent
MEGA-81 g
5 gM015 Detergent
MEGA-91 g
5 gM016 Detergent
MEGA-101 g
5 gN373 Detergent
n-Nonyl-β-D-thiomaltoside1 g O001 Detergent
n-Octyl-β-D-glucoside250 mg
1 g
5 g
25 gO003 Detergent
n-Octyl-β-D-thioglucoside1 g
5 gO393 Detergent
n-Octyl-β-D-maltoside500 mg O401 Detergent
3-Oxatridecyl-α-D-mannoside500 mg T461 Detergent
Trehalose C12500 mg T464 Detergent
Trehalose C14500 mg T465 Detergent
Trehalose C16500 mg - Sets
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Code Product name Unit size DS06 Detergent
Detergent Screening Set (first choice-II)1 set
