TWEEN® 20 (Sigma-Aldrich)

Description

CAS number: 9005-64-5
Suitability: Suitable for DNA extraction, RNA extraction, cell culture and protein purification
Synonym: Polyethylene glycol sorbitan monolaurate, Polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate

General description

Tween^®20 is a polyoxyethylene sorbitol ester that belongs to the polysorbate family. It is a nonionic detergent having a molecular weight of 1,225 daltons, assuming 20 ethylene oxide units, 1 sorbitol, and 1 lauric acid as the primary fatty acid. The ethylene oxide subunits are responsible for the hydrophilic nature of the surfactant, while the hydrocarbon chains provide the hydrophobic environment. Sorbitol forms the backbone ring to which the ethylene oxide polymers are attached.

Application

TWEEN 20 has been used as a component of:
• washing buffer and blocking buffer in Western blotting
• blocking buffer in immunohistochemistry
• washing buffer in ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
• reaction mixture in PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
• emulsifying agent for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions.
• pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins)
• blocking agent for membrane-based immunoassays at a typical concentration of 0.05%
• lysing mammalian cells at a concentration of 0.005 to 0.5%