CAS Number: 3483-12-3

Molecular Formula: C4H10O2S2

Molecular Weight: 154.25

EINECS Number: 222-468-7

DL-Dithiothreitol (DTT) is a strong reducing agent with a wide range of applications, primarily in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology.

Main Uses:

‌Reduction of Disulfide Bonds‌
DTT can reduce disulfide bonds (-S-S-) in proteins, preventing the formation of intramolecular or intermolecular disulfide bonds between cysteine residues, thereby protecting protein activity.
In DNA extraction experiments, DTT can break disulfide bonds between proteins, allowing DNA to fully dissociate and improving extraction efficiency.

‌Protection of Thiol Groups‌
DTT is used to protect thiol groups (-SH) in proteins from oxidation, maintaining a reducing environment and stabilizing enzyme activity.
In electrophoresis buffers, DTT serves as a component to help prevent protein denaturation.

‌RNA and DNA Manipulation‌
DTT can stabilize the structure of DNA and RNA, and act as a reducing and deprotecting agent for thiolated DNA, reducing DNA dimerization and improving experimental efficiency.
In RNA experiments, DTT can disrupt disulfide bonds in RNase proteins, causing RNase denaturation, which aids in RNA library construction and amplification.

‌SDS-PAGE Applications‌
In SDS-PAGE loading buffers, DTT is used to reduce protein disulfide bonds, ensuring proteins are fully denatured during electrophoresis.
DTT can also be used to reduce the disulfide bridges of the crosslinker N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine to decompose polyacrylamide gel matrices.

‌Other Uses‌
DTT has antioxidant effects and can be used as a protective agent to prevent cells and tissues from oxidative damage, as well as an antidote and radioprotective agent.
It prevents the oxidation of cholecystokinin, ensuring its stability in experiments.