Double-Do™ Protein Cross-Linkers
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G-Biosciences Double-Do™ Protein Cross-Linkers Handbook & Selection Guide G-Biosciences • 1-800-628-7730 • www.GBiosciences.com Cross-linking agents contain at least two reactive The most widely used heterobifunctional groups that are reactive towards numerous groups, cross-linking agents are used to couple proteins including sulfhydryls, amines and carbohydrates, through amine and sulfhydryl groups. The least and create chemical covalent bonds between two stable amine reactive NHS-esters couple first and, or more molecules. Functional groups that can after removal of uncoupled reagent, the coupling be targeted with cross-linking agents are primary to the sulfhydryl group proceeds. The sulfhydryl amines, carboxyls, sulfhydryls, carbohydrates and reactive groups are generally maleimides, pyridyl carboxylic acids. Protein molecules have many of disulfides and α-haloacetyls. Other cross-linkers these functional groups and therefore proteins include carbodiimides, which link between carboxyl and peptides can be readily conjugated using groups (-COOH) and primary amines (-NH2). There cross-linking agents. Cross-linking agents are are heterobifunctional cross-linkers with one used to study protein structure and function, to photoreactive end. Photoreactive groups are used anchor proteins to solid supports, preparation of when no specific groups are available to react with immunogens, immunotoxins, and other conjugated as photoreactive groups react non-specifically upon protein reagents. exposure to UV light. G-Biosciences offers a variety of Double Do™ It is often desirable to minimize the degree cross-linking agents, reaction specific buffers, and of structural shift due to cross-linking reactions, accessories for performing and facilitating cross- and more so if the protein molecule is biologically linking applications. These accessory tools simplify active. Therefore, cross-linking is performed under cross-linking reactions and will enable researchers mild buffer and pH conditions. Depending on to achieve highly efficient cross-linking reactions the application, the degree of conjugation is also with minimal effort in reaction optimization, set-up, important and an optimal cross-linker to protein and procedure development. ratio must be maintained. The number of target groups on the outer surface of a protein is also Cross-Linking Products important. If the exposed target groups are readily Double Do™ Cross-Linkers: A wide selection of available for conjugation, a lower cross-linker to cross-linkers, their features, consideration for protein ratio can be used. selection, and applications. Cross-linkers are available with different spacer Optimizer Buffers™: G-Biosciences’ researchers have arm lengths. A cross-linker with a longer space arm carried out extensive studies into these reactions may be used where two target groups are further and have designed six Optimizer Buffers™ that apart. The availability of cross-linkers with different have the ideal conditions for each Double Do™ spacer arms allows optimization of cross-reaction Cross-Linker reagent. Simply exchange your efficiency. Cross-linkers with short space arms are buffer with the Optimizer Buffer™ and proceed suitable for intramolecular cross-linking. Cleavable with the reaction. cross-linkers are also available which extends the ™ Tube-O-Reactor : A complete dialysis reaction scope of protein analysis. system that contains micro dialysis devices and dialysis cups. Selection of Protein Cross-Linkers Double Do™ Cross-Linkers These features are taken into consideration Cross-linking agents can be divided into groups when making selection of a cross-linker: dependent on the number and similarity of the 1. Reagent solubility reactive groups: 2. The nature of reactive groups Homobifunctional have two reactive ends that are 3. Homobifunctional or heterobifunctional identical. 4. Photoreactive or thermoreactive groups Heterobifunctional have two different reactive 5. The length of the spacer arm ends. 6. Conjugated product cleavable or not 7. Potential for further labeling Homobifunctional cross-linkers are used in 8. Reaction condition needed for conjugation one step reactions while the heterobifunctional cross-linkers are used in two-step sequential reactions, where the least labile reactive end is reacted first. Homobifunctional cross-linking agents have the tendency to result in self-conjugation, polymerization, and intracellular cross-linking. On the other hand, heterobifunctional agents allow more controlled two step reactions, which minimizes undesirable intramolecular cross-reaction and polymerization. Cross-Linking Applications Cell Membrane Structural Studies Cross-linkers are useful for studying structure Protein Structural & Functional Studies and function of membrane proteins. Cross-linking Cross-linking agents are used to study the will locate various proteins on both sides of a structure and composition of protein molecules. membrane. Suitable cross-linkers for membrane Cross-linking can answer questions about study can penetrate the lipid bilayer environment. the subunit composition of a protein, protein Imidoester cross-linkers are water soluble but conformations, various protein folding patterns, they are able to penetrate a membrane. Water and so forth. Cross-linkers can be used to stabilize soluble cross-linkers are suitable for establishing protein conformational changes. the location of molecules on the outer layer of a membrane. Any combination of hydrophobic and Use of heterobifunctional cross-linkers may hydrophilic cross-linkers may be used for a complete identify specific amino acids and their location picture. Sulfhydryl reactive cross-linkers are useful within the molecules. Cleavable cross-linkers for targeting the molecules with cysteine. may be used to identify subunit structures. After conjugation, the protein is subject to two- Cell Surface Studies dimensional electrophoresis. When subunits are Cross-linkers have been successfully used for coupled with a cross-linker, the protein molecules identifying receptors on cell surfaces. Membrane migrate as a single protein band; after cleaving the impermeable cross-linkers, when used carefully cross-linked protein in second dimension, the single and under controlled conditions, only react with band will resolve into constituent subunits. molecules on the cell surface. The sulfo-NHS- Cross-linkers with short-to-medium spacer arms esters are membrane impermeable and are a are suitable for intramolecular cross-linking, while good choice for cross-linking proteins on cell cross-linkers with long spacer arms are suitable for surfaces. For determination of whether a protein intermolecular cross-linking. Protein and reagent is located on the cell surface, cell membrane concentration may also effect intermolecular cross- preparation is conjugated with a known protein or linking as high concentrations of homobifunctional a radioactive tag using a membrane impermeable cross-linkers and dilute protein solution favors cross-linker. After conjugation, the cell membrane formation of intramolecular cross-linking. preparation is analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein Interaction and Receptor Studies Protein cross-linkers can be used to establish Solid-Phase Immobilization protein-to-protein association and ligand-receptor A wide variety of affinity supports are prepared interactions. Since the distance between two by cross-linking proteins, peptides, and other potential molecules are known, it is often preferable molecules to a solid support. Nitrocellulose to use a panel of similar cross-linkers with different membrane, polystyrene, glass and agarose are spacer arm lengths. Both cleavable and non- among the most popular supports. Some of these cleavable cross-linkers can be used. Similarly, homo supports can be activated for coupling, and others and heterobifunctional cross-linkers can be used. are available with functional groups that can be coupled with proteins or other molecules. Conjugation for Immunological Tools Spacers can be attached to overcome Antibody production routinely couples haptens, steric hindrance. Useful spacer arms are polypeptides and peptides to carrier proteins diaminodipropylamine (DADPA), ethylenediamine, using a wide variety of cross-linkers. The choice of hexanediamine, and 6-amino-capronic. Amino acids a cross-linker is dictated by the functional groups and peptide can also be used as spacers. present on the hapten and carrier proteins, with the amine groups being the preferred group on Preparation of Immunotoxins carrier proteins. Peptides are often synthesized Toxic agents can be coupled to specific with terminal cysteines that are conjugated to antibodies and used as a means to deliver toxins to carrier proteins using sulfhydryl-amine reactive a specific site within a cell. Immunotoxins are useful heterobifunctional cross-linkers. Carbodiimides for killing specific cells such as tumor cells. These are also a popular cross-linker for producing antibodies are often specific to tumor-associated protein-peptide conjugates, since both proteins antigens. For optimal immunotoxin effects, the and peptides usually contain several carboxyls and immunotoxins often need to be released upon amines. delivery. Cleavable disulfide-containing cross-linkers have been found to be more useful than non- cleavable cross-linkers. Cells are able to cleave the disulfide bond in the cross-linker and release the toxin irreversibly. Protein-Protein Conjugation Protein-protein conjugation