Kinetically stable proteins (KSPs) are defined as proteins that are resistant to denaturation by the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) used in gel electrophoresis. This hyperstability may be responsible for mechanisms that develop to aid in the adaptation or survival of certain organisms to harsh conditions. In legumes, this kinetic stability imparts the characteristic inability to be digested and allows some proteins, such as the globular storage protein, phaseolin, to carry out fundamental biological functions involved in germination. In this experiment, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (sarkosyl), a milder detergent than SDS with a different hydrophilic head containing a substituted amine, is used in gel electrophoresis in varying percentages in combination with SDS. The results show that sarkosyl may be used in gel electrophoresis to identify proteins with moderate kinetic stability that are not resistant to SDS. Thus, this milder detergent and perhaps others may be incorporated into future research across multiple disciplines to expand upon the applications of gel electrophoresis methods for probing the hyperstability of certain proteins.

Sarkosyl: A milder detergent than SDS for identifying proteins with modest hyperstability using gel electrophoresis

256th National Meeting (2018)

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