Tricine

Buffer component for separation of low molecular weight peptides.

Tricine has been used:

• to prevent precipitation of salts during autoclaving of Emiliania huxleyi cultures
• as a component of buffer A for the homogenization of samples like Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and plants
• as a component of fresh assay buffer to measure serum melatonin by radioimmunoassay

Tricine is the most frequently used electrophoresis buffer. It is also useful for the resuspension of cell pellets. Tricine functions as a trailing ion and aids the resolution of small proteins at lower acrylamide concentrations than in glycine-sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) systems. It has a lower negative charge than glycine, which helps it migrate faster. Tricine has a high ionic strength that allows increased ion movement and less protein movement. This in turn leads to the separation of low molecular weight proteins in lower percent acrylamide gels.