Maltosides


Alkyl Maltosides are a class of detergents composed of a hydrophilic maltose and a hydrophobic alkyl chain. Variation in the alkyl chain confers a range of detergent properties including CMC and solubility. Maltosides are most often used for the solubilization and purification of membrane proteins.

History

In 1980 Ferguson-Miller et al. at Michigan State developed n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside as part of a successful effort to purify an active, stable, monodisperse form of cytochrome c oxidase. Maltosides have been used extensively to stabilize membrane proteins for biophysical and structural studies.

Table of detergent properties