Reductive Amination with Tris or Ethanolamine

Dissolve the macromolecule-containing aldehydes to be blocked (i.e., a glycoprotein that has been oxidized with sodium periodate to create formyl groups) at a concentration 

Add 10 pi of 5 M sodium cyanoborohydride in 1N NaOH (Aldrich) per ml of the macromolecule solution volume prepared in (1). Caution Highly toxic compound. Use a fume hood and be careful to avoid skin contact with this reagent. 

Purify the derivatized macromolecule by dialysis or gel filtration using a buffer suitable for the nature of the substance being modified. 

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Figure 1.124 Aldehyde groups may be blocked with Tris or ethanolamine using a reductive amination process.

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