Detergents are amphipathic molecules, which aggregate to form micelles above their critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) in aqueous solutions. In micelles, the hydrophilic head groups of detergents form the surface in contact with solvent molecules while their hydrophobic tails are sequestered into the center of the micelles. With this distinct structure, micelles in aqueous solutions can protect membrane proteins from solvent molecules by surrounding their large hydrophobic surface with the hydrophobic tails of detergents to form protein-detergent complexes (i.e. protein-embedded micelles), as long as proper detergents are used.
The proper detergents may differ for different membrane proteins and different application purposes. Use of improper or insufficient detergents may result in the unfolding, conformational change, loss of function or activity and/or aggregation of membrane proteins, which has greatly impeded the research, development, and application of membrane proteins. However, this has seldom been a problem for Creative Biolabs. Equipped with the powerful detergent screening platform, we can easily find the most suitable detergent or detergent mixture for each membrane protein. At Creative Biolabs, a series of high-purity detergents and their combinations are available for screening, which including but not limited to:
Detergent | |||
Cat | Product Name | CAS Number | CMC in H2O |
MPD0025K | n-Octyl-β-D-Glucopyranoside (OG) | 29836-26-8 | 0.53% |
MPD0041K | n-Dodecyl-β-D-Maltopyranoside (DDM) | 69227-93-6 | 0.0087% |
MPD0044K | n-Decyl-β-D-Maltopyranoside (DM) | 82494-09-5 | 0.087% |
MPD0070K | Lauryl Maltose Neopentyl Glycol (LMNG) | 1257852-96-2 | 0.001% |
MPD0092K | CHAPS | 75621-03-3 | 0.49% |
MPD0182K | GDN | 1402423-29-3 | 0.0021% |
MPD0204K | Octaethylene Glycol Monododecyl Ether (C12E8) | 3055-98-9 | 0.0048% |
During the screening of detergents for membrane proteins, we will also test the optimal pH and salt condition. We will evaluate the folding, solubilization, oligomeric state, and monodispersity of membrane proteins for each screened detergent based on the A320/A280 ratio, HPSEC profile, and/or the ultracentrifugation result. Our detergent screening platform can be used separately or in any service provided by our company in which detergents will have to be used.
With the aid of this detergent screening platform at Creative Biolabs, we believe we can accelerate the progress of our customers' membrane protein projects and exert our greatest efforts to bring positive results to our customers. Please feel free to inquire us for more information.
All listed services and products are For Research Use Only. Do Not use in any diagnostic or therapeutic applications.