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What are the main uses of Guanidine Isothiocyanate?
Guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate are commonly used reagents for biochemical experiments, and their functions are particularly important.
In the field of nucleic acid extraction, the two are the most important. Guanidine isothiocyanate can effectively lyse cells, allowing the release of nucleic acids in cells, and can inhibit the activity of nuclease. Nuclease, often want to degrade nucleic acid, while guanidine isothiocyanate can inactivate this enzyme, maintain the integrity of nucleic acid, and extract pure nucleic acid. It can destroy the structure of protein, so that protein and nucleic acid can be separated, which is convenient for subsequent nucleic acid purification.
Furthermore, in the field of protein analysis, guanidine salt can change the conformation of protein. Due to its strong denaturation ability, it can stretch protein molecules and help study the structure and function of proteins. It can disintegrate the high-level structure of the protein, leaving only the first-order structure, which is convenient for analyzing amino acid sequences.
And in the case of virus inactivation, guanidine isothiocyanate is also very useful. It can effectively inactivate a variety of viruses and prevent their transmission and infection, which is of great significance in virus-related experiments and biosafety protection. With their unique chemical properties, they are indispensable agents in many aspects of life science experiments, promoting the progress of research.
Chemical Properties of Guanidine Isothiocyanate
The chemical properties of guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate are as follows:
Both are soluble. Guanidine isothiocyanate dissolves very well in water and can quickly form a uniform solution. This property makes it possible to rapidly dissolve cellular components and promote nucleic acid free during nucleic acid extraction. Guanidine ions can strongly interact with water molecules, enhancing the solubility of substances by destroying the original interaction between solute molecules.
Both guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate are strongly alkaline. The guanidine structure contains multiple nitrogen atoms, can accept protons, and exhibits alkaline characteristics. This alkalinity is extremely critical in biochemical applications, such as adjusting the pH of the reaction system, creating a suitable environment for specific biochemical reactions or substance extraction.
The stability of both is also worthy of attention. Under normal circumstances, under normal storage and operating conditions, the two are relatively stable. However, guanidine isothiocyanate may decompose or chemically react when it is exposed to high temperature, high humidity, or in contact with specific substances. Its decomposition products may be irritating and toxic, so it is necessary to follow norms when storing and using to ensure safety.
In addition, both have denaturing effects. Guanidine isothiocyanate can destroy the spatial structure of proteins and nucleic acids. In protein research, it can break hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, etc. of proteins, causing denaturation; when nucleic acid is extracted, it can denaturize and inactivate nucleic acid enzymes, avoid nucleic acid degradation, and effectively protect the integrity of nucleic acids for subsequent analysis and research.
What are the precautions for the use of Guanidine Isothiocyanate in the experiment?
When guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate are used in experiments, the following things should be paid attention to. First, these two have strong denaturing power, can destroy the structure and function of protein, and can also quickly kill the enzyme activity of RNase and protect RNA from degradation. When using, make sure the concentration is accurate. If the concentration of Guanidine Isothiocyanate is improper, or the nucleic acid denaturation is insufficient or excessive, it will affect the subsequent steps such as nucleic acid extraction and purification.
Second, both have certain toxicity and irritation. When operating, strict safety procedures must be followed. Wear laboratory clothes, gloves and goggles in a fume hood to prevent it from touching the skin, inhaling or ingesting. If it is accidentally touched, rinse with plenty of water quickly and seek medical attention according to the situation.
Third, it is quite sensitive to pH value. Different experimental needs require precise regulation of the pH value of the Guanidine Isothiocyanate-containing system. For example, in an acidic environment, it is more conducive to some nucleic acid extraction processes. pH fluctuations or changes in the binding force of nucleic acid and binding medium, reducing the collection rate and purity of nucleic acid.
Fourth, stability also needs to be paid attention to. These two should be stored in a dry and cool place, protected from moisture and high temperature. Due to improper temperature and humidity or decomposition and deterioration, the experimental effect should be affected. When using, attention should also be paid to its shelf life. The activity of expired reagents or impurities decreases, resulting in deviations in experimental results.
Fifth, the compatibility with other reagents should be clear. If there are various reagents in the experimental system, it is necessary to ensure that Guanidine Isothiocyanate does not have adverse reactions with it, otherwise it may precipitate, change the properties of the solution, and disturb the normal experimental process.
Does Guanidine Isothiocyanate React with Other Reagents?
Guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate are commonly used in biochemical experiments, especially in the field of nucleic acid extraction. Whether it will react with other reagents depends on the specific type of reagent.
In case of strong oxidizing agents, such as potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, etc., guanidine salt and guanidine isothiocyanate may be oxidized. Due to the fact that guanidine and isothiocyanate have certain reductive properties, in a strong oxidizing environment, electrons are easily lost and oxidation reactions occur, resulting in changes in molecular structure or the formation of new nitrogen-containing and sulfur-containing oxidation products.
When exposed to strong acids and bases, it will also react. In a strong acid environment, guanidine is easily protonated, changing its chemical activity and charge distribution; under strong alkali conditions, isothiocyanate may hydrolyze to form corresponding thiocarbamate and other products.
However, if it is combined with some neutral salts, such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, etc., it is usually more stable under conventional conditions and does not react easily. Because these neutral salts have no obvious redox tendency or driving force that can initiate ionic reactions with guanidine salts and guanidine isothiocyanate.
In addition, in the field of protein denaturants, such as urea, although they are all protein denaturants, guanidine salts generally do not chemically react with guanidine isothiocyanate and urea, but when they act together on proteins, they may have a synergistic effect on destroying the spatial structure of proteins.
In short, whether guanidine salts can react with guanidine isothiocyanate and other reagents depends on the chemical properties of other reagents, as well as the environmental conditions such as temperature and pH. When experimenting, be sure to check the characteristics of reagents and reaction conditions in detail to prevent unexpected reactions from affecting the experimental results.
What is the preservation method of Guanidine Isothiocyanate?
Guanidine isothiocyanate is a commonly used reagent in biochemical experiments, especially in nucleic acid extraction. Its preservation method is quite critical, as follows:
Guanidine isothiocyanate is highly hygroscopic and must be stored in a dry environment. It should be stored in a sealed container, such as a glass bottle or a plastic bottle with a screw cap, to prevent the intrusion of external water vapor and cause deliquescence and deterioration.
Temperature has a great impact on its stability. It should be stored in a low temperature place, and it is usually refrigerated at 2-8 ° C. Such temperature conditions can effectively slow down its decomposition rate and prolong its service life.
Avoiding light is also an important measure. Light can promote photochemical reactions, thereby reducing its purity and activity. Therefore, it should be placed in an opaque container or stored in a dark place.
The retrieval process should also be cautious to shorten the exposure time to air as much as possible. After each retrieval, the container should be sealed immediately and reset to a suitable storage environment.
If the above preservation method is followed, guanidine salt isothiocyanate can be maintained stable for a long time, which plays a good role in experiments and helps biochemical research proceed smoothly.
