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EDTA as denaturating agent ?? - for proteins.. (Jul/06/2009 )

hi

how effective is EDTA as denaturing agent for proteins???
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-rick112-

if you have a metallo-protein then it may denature the protein by removing the metal.

otherwise, i have never heard of its use in the denaturing of protein.

-mdfenko-

It is frequently used in protein storage buffers...

Other than some specialized proteins that require coordination with various metal ions to retain their state (as mdfenko points out), I wouldn't consider EDTA a denaturing agent.

-HomeBrew-

thanks HomeBrew and mdfenko for the reply...

i also had similar opinion its just that one of my colleague had such a strong view on this...that i felt i must conform it...

ok..lets just trun the question little around :wacko:

what makes 'Urea' and 'GuHCL (Guanidine Hydrochloride)' such a good denaturing agents for proteins??

-rick112-

this comes from wikipedia:

urea breaks non-covalent bonds.

guanidinium chloride is a powerful protein denaturant. wiki references a book from 1978:

Lapange, Savo (1978). Physicochemical aspects of protein denaturation. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0471034096.

you can also get information on protein denaturation in the handbook of chemistry and physics.

-mdfenko-

It inactivates enzymes that need bivalent metal ions as coenzymes. But this is not a denaturation....

-hobglobin-