- This is a complex organic molecule comprised of a hydrophilic sugar (maltoside) head group and a hydrophobic carbon tail (10 carbons in length). The most common categorization and use of the molecule is as a protein detergent.
- This maltoside has been used for over three decades and has proven to be an extremely important tool used in protein studies.
- The combined properties of the head and tail groups allow this maltoside the to mimic the phospholipids that comprise the cell membrane.
- These properties are both vital and necessary property for membrane protein solubilization, purification and stabilization.
- Solubilization and extraction of membrane proteins through displacement of the lipids of the cell membrane.
- Replace the physiological "stabilizing" interacts membrane lipids provide to hydrophobic regions of membrane proteins.
- The replacement of membrane lipid-protein interactions by dodecyl maltoside has shown to stabilize membrane proteins in their active conformation.
- This allows scientists to study the activity of membrane proteins
This maltoside was first synthesized in 1980 by professor at Michigan State University (MSU), Shelagh M. Ferguson-Miller. In 1980 she was working on purifying Cytochrome C Oxidase.
If you would like to visit her webpage at the university to read up on her past and present work you can visit here.
Dodecyl Maltoside goes by a few different names:
- Chemical Name: n-Dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside.
- DDM
- D310
- Lauryl Maltoside
Due to its high level of success in protein stabilization experiments chemist began to experiment on lengthening and shortening its alkyl chain length and later by changing the hydrophilic sugar head group. There these experiments another very important protein detergent was synthesized, decyl maltoside.
The purpose of this blog is to give specific information on the chemical properties of dodecyl maltoside as well as the many other maltosides and protein detergents and studies in general.
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