Bovine serum albumin
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Bovine serum albumin, Bovine Albumin, BSA: A serum albumin protein that can be used as a diluent or a blocking agent in numerous applications including ELISAs (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), blots and immunohistochemistry. It is also used as a nutrient in cell and microbial culture. In restriction digests, BSA is used to stabilize some enzymes during digestion of DNA and to prevent adhesion of the enzyme to reaction tubes and other vessels. This protein does not affect other enzymes that do not need it for stabilization. BSA is used because of its stability, its lack of effect in many biochemical reactions, and its low cost since it is readily available in large quantities as it is purified from bovine blood, a byproduct of the beef industry.
[edit] Physical properties
- Number of residues: 583
- Molecular Weight: 66,430 Da
- Theoretical pI: 5.82
A 18-residue signal peptide is cut off the precursor protein upon secretion, hence the precursor has 607 amino acid residues and a molecular weight of 69,323.4 Da.
[edit] References
- The sequence of BSA on NCBI.
- Product Sheet Information at Sigma-Aldrich
- Largest manufacturer of BSA: Proliant
[edit] See also
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