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AAT Bioquest

What is the difference between ionic and nonionic detergents?

Posted July 28, 2021


Answer

Ionic detergents:

  • Contain a head group that is either positively charged (cationic) or negatively charged (anionic)
  • Have a harsher effect than nonionic detergents because of their ability to bind to protein molecules, altering the protein’s structure and charge 
  • Are highly denaturing
  • Preferred for use in processes such as gel electrophoresis that require the protein structure to be modified and the cellular structures disrupted 

Nonionic detergents:

  • Contain an uncharged head group
  • Are less harsh as compared to ionic detergents because of their limited ability to bind to protein molecules and break protein-protein interactions
  • Are non-denaturing.
  • Are well suited for breaking lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions but not suited for breaking protein-protein interactions
  • Preferred for use in processes that require the protein structure to be kept intact.
Additional resources

Non-ionic detergents facilitate non-specific binding of M13 bacteriophage to polystyrene surfaces

DiOC2(3) iodide [3,3-Diethyloxacarbocyanine iodide]

Plasma Membrane