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G9277

Guanidine thiocyanate

Molecular Biology, ≥99%

Synonym(s):

Guanidinium rhodanide, Guanidinium thiocyanate

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
NH2C(=NH)NH2 · HSCN
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
118.16
UNSPSC Code:
12352107
NACRES:
NA.31
PubChem Substance ID:
EC Number:
209-812-1
Beilstein/REAXYS Number:
3563461
MDL number:
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biological source

synthetic (organic)

Quality Segment

grade

Molecular Biology

assay

≥99%

form

powder or crystals

storage condition

(Tightly closed. Dry. )

technique(s)

RNA extraction: suitable

color

colorless to white,

mp

120-122 °C (lit.)

solubility

water: 100 mg/mL, clear, colorless

density

1.29 g/cm3 at 20 °C (68 °F)

cation traces

Ba: ≤5 ppm, Fe: ≤5 ppm, Na: ≤0.5%, heavy metals (as Pb): ≤5 ppm

application(s)

agriculture

foreign activity

DNase, RNase, none detected

SMILES string

SC#N.NC(N)=N

InChI

1S/CH5N3.CHNS/c2-1(3)4;2-1-3/h(H5,2,3,4);3H

InChI key

ZJYYHGLJYGJLLN-UHFFFAOYSA-N

General description

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.

Application

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)

Chaotropic agent and strong denaturant; solubilizes cells.

Biochem/physiol Actions

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.

Features and Benefits

  • Highly versatile surfactant for your cell biology and biochemical research
  • Suitable for RNA extraction in sensitive molecular biology applications
  • Free from Dnase and Rnase
  • Tested to confirm low levels of heavy metal contamination, ensuring suitability for various applications

Other Notes

For additional information on our range of Biochemicals, please complete this form.

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This Item
RDD02950983368975
grade

Molecular Biology

grade

-

grade

Molecular Biology

grade

-

assay

≥99%

assay

≥99.0%

assay

-

assay

≥99% (titration)

technique(s)

RNA extraction: suitable

technique(s)

-

technique(s)

RNA extraction: suitable

technique(s)

-

Quality Level

200

Quality Level

100

Quality Level

200

Quality Level

100

application(s)

agriculture

application(s)

-

application(s)

-

application(s)

-

form

powder or crystals

form

-

form

liquid

form

solid


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pictograms

CorrosionExclamation mark

signalword

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Dermal - Acute Tox. 4 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Aquatic Chronic 3 - Eye Dam. 1 - Skin Corr. 1C

supp_hazards

Storage Class

8B - Non-combustible, corrosive hazardous materials

wgk

WGK 2

flash_point_f

Not applicable

flash_point_c

Not applicable

ppe

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves



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Questions

1–2 of 2 Questions  
  1. How can I determine the shelf life / expiration / retest date of this product?

    1 answer
    1. If this product has an expiration or retest date, it will be shown on the Certificate of Analysis (COA, CofA). If there is no retest or expiration date listed on the product's COA, we do not have suitable stability data to determine a shelf life. For these products, the only date on the COA will be the release date; a retest, expiration, or use-by-date will not be displayed.
      For all products, we recommend handling per defined conditions as printed in our product literature and website product descriptions. We recommend that products should be routinely inspected by customers to ensure they perform as expected.
      For products without retest or expiration dates, our standard warranty of 1 year from the date of shipment is applicable.
      For more information, please refer to the Product Dating Information document: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/deepweb/assets/sigmaaldrich/marketing/global/documents/418/501/product-dating-information-06-25-mk.pdf

      Helpful?

  2. How is shipping temperature determined? And how is it related to the product storage temperature?

    1 answer
    1. Products may be shipped at a different temperature than the recommended long-term storage temperature. If the product quality is sensitive to short-term exposure to conditions other than the recommended long-term storage, it will be shipped on wet or dry-ice. If the product quality is NOT affected by short-term exposure to conditions other than the recommended long-term storage, it will be shipped at ambient temperature. As shipping routes are configured for minimum transit times, shipping at ambient temperature helps control shipping costs for our customers. For more information, please refer to the Storage and Transport Conditions document: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/deepweb/assets/sigmaaldrich/marketing/global/documents/316/622/storage-transport-conditions-mk.pdf

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