Thermo Scientific™ High–Purity Fos-Choline Detergents

Description

Fos-choline detergents are a class of zwitterionic detergents commonly used in protein solubilization for various applications, including membrane protein research, protein purification, and structural biology studies. These detergents are specifically designed to solubilize and stabilize membrane proteins while maintaining their native structure and functionality. It is important to optimize the specific conditions and concentrations for each membrane protein extraction experiment, as the requirements vary depending on factors such as protein of interest, cell type, and experimental conditions.

Features of fos-choline detergents
• Gentle on proteins, minimizing denaturation and aggregation
• Effectively disrupt lipid-protein interactions
• Exhibit low critical micelle concentration (CMC)
• High-purity compounds with low UV absorptivity

Overall, fos-choline detergents are valuable tools for protein solubilization, particularly suitable for solubilizing challenging and delicate membrane proteins. Their unique properties, including mildness, solubilization efficiency, and low CMC, make them essential for studying the structure, function, and interactions of membrane proteins in various research and biotechnological applications.

Fos-Choline 15
Fos-Choline 15 (FC-15) has a longer hydrophobic chain compared to other fos choline detergents. This increases lipophilicity and results in enhanced solubilization and stabilization of membrane proteins with larger hydrophobic regions or transmembrane domains. FC-15 forms larger micelles compared to other fos cholines. These larger micelles can be advantageous for downstream applications such as protein purification and structural analysis, as they provide better solubility and reduced interference during purification steps.

Properties of FC-15
• Chemical name: n-pentadecylphosphocholine
• CMC: (H₂O) ~ 0.07 mM (0.0027%)
• Aggregation number: (H₂O) ~ 131
• Purity: ≥99% (by HPLC analysis)
• pH: 5-8 (1% solution in water)

Fos-Choline 12
Fos-Choline 12 (FC-12) has an intermediate hydrophobic chain length compared to other fos cholines. This chain length can strike a balance between solubilization efficiency and protein stability, giving FC-12 optimal lipophilicity  for a wide range of membrane protein types. The specific hydrophobic chain length of FC-12 contributes to its ability to maintain the native conformation and functionality of the proteins and allows for the formation of micelles with optimal size and stability, providing improved solubility and reduced interference during purification steps.

Properties of FC-12
• Chemical name: n-dodecylphosphocholine
• CMC: (H₂O) ~ 1.5 mM (0.047%)
• Aggregation number: (H₂O) ~ 54
• Purity: ≥99% (by HPLC analysis)
• pH: 5-8 (1% solution in water)

Fluorinated Fos-Choline 8
Fluorinated Fos-Choline 8 (FFC-8) exhibits excellent biocompatibility, minimizing potential cytotoxic effects on cells or interference with protein activities. These characteristics are particularly important for applications involving sensitive membrane proteins because they minimize protein denaturation and aggregation. FFC-8’s chemical modification with fluorine atoms increases lipophilicity and enables utilization of Fluorine-19 (^19F) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This technique allows for the direct detection and quantification of FFC-8 in protein samples, enabling precise monitoring of detergent removal during purification processes.

Properties of FFC-8
• Chemical name: (1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyl)phosphocholine
• CMC: (H₂O) 2.9 mM
• Purity: ≥99% (by HPLC analysis)
• pH: 5-8 (1% solution in water)