d-Desthiobiotin

D-Desthiobiotin is a protein cross-linking agent and a precursor in the synthesis of biotin. Desthiobiotin is a modified form of biotin that binds less tightly to avidin and streptavidin than biotin while still providing excellent specificity in affinity purification methods. Unlike biomolecules that are labeled with biotin, proteins and other targets that are labeled with desthiobiotin can be eluted without harsh, denaturing conditions. D-Desthiobiotin is used in affinity chromatography and protein chromatography, and can be used for protein and cell labeling, detection and isolation. It has been used in the preparation of agarose matrices for affinity-based isolation of streptavidin-fluorophore conjugates. Desthiobiotin is an efficient competitor for the mild elution of Strep-tag® and TwinStrep-tag® fusion proteins from Strep-Tactin® columns. For elution 2.5 mM desthiobiotin is added to the buffer.