SPDP-type reagents have an amine-reactive N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester at one end and a suflhydryl-reactive 2-pyridyldithio group at the opposite end. PEG12-SPDP has a 12-unit polyethylene glycol spacer arm, which confers greater solubility to the crosslinker and linked proteins compared to crosslinkers having only hydrocarbon spacers. Pyridyldithiol reagents produce disulfide-containing linkages that can be cleaved with reducing agents such as dithiothreitol (DTT). Crosslinking experiments with SPDP reagents are not limited to those involving proteins. Any of a variety of molecules with primary amines and sulfhydryl groups can be modified or crosslinked using an SPDP reagent
Advantage:
1.Reactive groups: NHS ester and pyrirdyldithiol; 2.Efficient amine conjugation—NHS ester provides effective conjugation to lysines, N-termini of peptides and other primary amines; 3.Reversible sulfhydryl conjugation—pyridyldithiol group enables disulfide linkage with reduced cysteines and other sulfhydryl groups, providing a stable but cleavable bond; 4.Polyethylene glycol—PEG groups are flexible, non-immunogenic, hydrophilic, and often enhance the solubility of attached molecules Spacer arm—connects primary amines and sulfhydryl targets at distances up to 54.1 angstroms; compare to PEG4-SPDP (25.7 angstroms).