Dodecylglucopyranoside

Dodecylglucopyranoside: Detergents are used in protein purification, primarily as agents to assist in solublization and re-crystallization. Membrane proteins, because of their naturally hydrophobic character, particularly require treatment with detergents prior to analysis, be it electrophoresis or chromatography. In biochemistry or molecular biology research, high purity detergents are essential to the successful study of bio-molecules. Detergents (also called surfactants) are a class of water-soluble molecules distinguished by their dual hydrophilic and hydrophobic character. In aqueous environments, their hydrophobic tails can associate to form micelles, or aggregates containing a hydrophobic core. Detergents also function to lower surface tension, thereby further facilitating solublization of proteins and lipids. The specific behaviors of detergents in solution are dependent upon the structure of the individual detergent molecule. Detergents generally fall into one of four classes, depending upon the charge on the hydrophilic head group in solution: Anionic, or negatively-charged; Cationic, or positively-charged; Nonionic, containing no charge; or Zwitterionic, those which possess both positively and negatively charged groups in an aqueous environment. Two other important parameters for evaluating the usefulness of a detergent are: Critical Micelle Concentration and Aggregation Number: The Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) determines the concen-tration in solution where micelles first form. The Aggregation Number indicates the number of detergent monomers in the micelle. Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB): This is an indication of the hydrophobic character of a detergent, and is especially applicable to Non- ionic detergents. Generally, those detergents with a higher HLB are most hydrophilic and therefore useful for solublizing extrinsic membrane proteins, while those detergents with a lower HLB number are most hydrophobic and useful for extracting integral membrane proteins. BIO BASIC INC. now offers an expanded line of detergents for biochemical research. Each is carefully purified and suitable for most biological applications.