Dendritic Oligoglycerol Regioisomer Mixtures and Their Utility for Membrane Protein Research

Dendrons are an important class of macromolecules that can be used for a broad range of applications. Recent studies have indicated that mixtures of oligoglycerol detergent (OGD) regioisomers are superior to individual regioisomers for protein extraction. The origin of this phenomenon remains puzzling. Here we discuss the synthesis and characterization of dendritic oligoglycerol regioisomer mixtures and their implementation into detergents. We provide experimental benchmarks to support quality control after synthesis and investigate the unusual utility of OGD regioisomer mixtures for extracting large protein quantities from biological membranes. We anticipate that our findings will enable the development of mixed detergent platforms in the future.

Automated summary

Dendrons, an important class of macromolecules, have been found to be more effective for protein extraction when using mixtures of oligoglycerol detergent regioisomers than individual regioisomers. The synthesis and characterization of these mixtures, along with their implementation into detergents, have been discussed, with experimental benchmarks provided for quality control. The unusual utility of these mixtures for extracting large protein quantities from biological membranes is investigated, with the anticipation that these findings will contribute to the development of mixed detergent platforms in the future.