Tween is the transliteration of TWEEN, also called Tween-type emulsifier, which is the condensation of Span (sorbitol fatty acid ester) and ethylene oxide It is a type of non-ionic detergent. Chemical name: Polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, referred to as polysorbate (Polysorbate). Since Span is an ester formed of sorbitol and different higher fatty acids, Tween is actually a series of products of the same type. It is divided into 20, 40, 60, and 80 types in general fine chemical stores or chemical reagent companies. According to different Need to choose.
Since Span is an ester formed of sorbitol and different higher fatty acids, Tween is actually a series of products of the same type and is sold in general fine chemical stores. Or chemical reagent companies provide 20, 40, 60, and 80 types, which can be selected according to different needs.
The role of Twain in biological experiments:
1. When using emulsified proteins in biological experiments, Tween and the same type of Triton X-100 (polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ether) non-ionic detergent do not destroy the protein structure and can reduce Destroy the original interactions between proteins. Ionic detergents such as SDS destroy the protein structure.
2. As a blocking agent in biological experiments, the blocking agent should block all unbound sites without replacing the target protein on the membrane or binding to the target. The protein’s standard does not cross-react with antibodies or detection reagents. Tween-20 has the function of refolding antigens and can improve specific recognition ability. When doing western blot, use inert proteins or non-ionic detergents to block unbound sites on the membrane to reduce non-specific binding of antibodies. The most common blocking agents are BSA, skim milk powder, casein, gelatin, and dilute solutions of Tween-20 (0.05-0.1%).
