Guanidine thiocyanate

Chaotropic agent and strong denaturant; solubilizes cells.

Guanidine thiocyanate has been used:

• for the lysis of colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line prior to RNA isolation
• as a PCR inhibitor in triplex mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) qPCR assay
• for DNA extraction from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Guanidine thiocyanate is a denaturing agent and is used routinely in RNA isolation. It is used as a storage buffer for whole blood samples. Guanidine thiocyanate inactivates nucleases and is ideal for storing and freezing fecal samples for DNA studies. It is used in combination with phenol−chloroform in RNA extraction.

Guanidine thiocyanate, or guanidinium rhodanide, is a versatile chemical compound widely used in molecular biology and biochemical research. Acting as a chaotropic agent, it disrupts cell and organelle membranes, facilitating cell lysis and organelle isolation. Notably, it serves as a potent protein denaturant, surpassing guanidine hydrochloride in unfolding proteins. This property is valuable for purifying nucleic acids from crude cell lysates, effectively separating nucleic acids from denatured proteins.

In nucleic acid purification, guanidine thiocyanate is effective in inactivating DNases and RNases, preventing nucleic acid degradation and ensuring favorable yields. Its dual denaturing and enzyme-inhibiting properties make it crucial for DNA and RNA studies. Beyond nucleic acid isolation, guanidine thiocyanate is used for cell lysis and virus particle inactivation during RNA and DNA extractions. It not only disrupts membranes but also denatures RNase and DNase enzymes, protecting extracted nucleic acids from enzymatic degradation. The versatility of guanidine thiocyanate extends to molecular biology techniques like PCR, Northern blotting, and Southern blotting. It serves as a vital reagent in these methods, contributing to the successful analysis and amplification of nucleic acids.

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