Thioglycerol (3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol) is a sulfur-containing analogue of glycerol. This compound has been used as a reducing agent in protein purification as an alternative to other reducing agents, such as B-mercaptoethanol or DTT.
In that way, I'm considering of using it as my reducing agent (0.1%(v/v)) and I'm wondering if I can also replace the glycerol of my buffer (5-10%) just by adding it in that concentration.
Aren't the concentrations of this compound to low compared to glycerol concentrations to see the same protein stability? Has anyone tried to replace it without adding glycerol to the buffer? If so, What are the concentrations equivalents of glycerol and thioglicerol in providing the same protein stabilization properties (upon freezing or even in purification buffers)?
I would be very cautious about switching to such a "combo reagent" without many control experiments. I have always used glycerol combined with TCEP (a very potent non-thiol reducing agent) in these types of protocols. Do you have a ref. using the thiol glycerol?
Thioglycerol is far more expensive than glycerol. To use it as a stabilizer at the same concentration as glycerol is typically used (~10%) during protein purification would be an unnecessary expense.
I have used thioglycerol; I think it was for experiments with peptides - it is long ago.
As Adam B Shapiro says, it's not cheap and you would not want to use it at the high concentrations you need.
And if my memory serves me right, your lab-mates would not like you to use it either at these high concentrations - it stinks; almost as bad as mercaptoethanol, which you use at a low millimolar concentration. 10% thioglycerol - you will probably smell this on the whole campus.
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