Name this molecule. You must be specific. We need the correct scientific name. This one's a bit difficult.As usual, there's a connection between Monday's molecule and this Wednesday's Nobel Laureate. Bonus points for finding the connection.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Monday's Molecule #13
Name this molecule. You must be specific. We need the correct scientific name. This one's a bit difficult.As usual, there's a connection between Monday's molecule and this Wednesday's Nobel Laureate. Bonus points for finding the connection.
That's 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, the oxidzed form of the common laboratory reducing agent 2-mercaptoethanol. The Nobel connection is with Christian Anfinsen, since reduction of disulfide bonds with agents such as 2-ME is essential for completely denaturing many proteins, and the re-formation of disulfide bonds between the "correct" cysteine partners is a crucial aspect of their refolding.
ReplyDeletedi-(2-hydroxyethyl)-disulfide
ReplyDeleteIt kinda looks like two BME's smushed together, so fantastical logical leap!-- and my guess is that it's related to Anfinsen.
2-hydroxyethydisulfide is useful for disulfide interchange, a more selective method of blocking thiols than reduction-alkylation - Smithies, Disulfide-bond cleavage and formtation in proteins, Science 150, 1595 (1965)
ReplyDelete