Biotinylation reagents cleavable

In another example, ligands can be biotinylated with a cleavable biotinylation reagent and then incubated with receptor molecules. The resulting complex can be isolated by affinity chromatography on immobilized (strept)avidin. Final purification of the ligand-receptor can be accomplished by cleaving the biotin modification sites while the complex is still bound to the support. The receptor complex thus can be eluted from the column without the usual harsh conditions required to break the avidin-biotin interaction. 

The application of biotinylated receptor substrates is another approach, incubating the labeled substrate with the receptors prior to isolation on an avidin-coated support. In such cases, biotinylation with a cleavable biotinylation reagent such as Sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin or NHS-Iminobiotin would be essential for recovery of the isolated receptor. Alternatively, the receptor could be recovered by substrate competition. Perhaps one of the major drawbacks to the application of affinity techniques is the relative low molecular weight or small size of the receptor substrates, making them difficult ligands to immobilize. However, affinity procedures have been applied to the purification of a number of different receptors although relatively little work has been reported on those involved in the processing of neurotransmittors, neuropeptides, and hormones [1,2]. 

The application of biotinylated receptor substrates is a useful approach, incubating the biotinylated substrates with their specific receptors prior to isolation on an avidin-coated support.In such cases, biotinylation with a cleavable reagent such as Sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin or NHS-Iminobiotin is essential for recovery of the isolated receptor. Alternatively, the receptor can be recovered by substrate competition. 

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