Product name:Diethyl pyrocarbonate
CAS:1609-47-8
Molecular Formula:C6H10O5
Formula Weight:162.14
Specification:10ml
Description:
Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC), also called diethyl dicarbonate (IUPAC name), diethyl oxydiformate, ethoxyformic anhydride, or pyrocarbonic acid diethyl ester, is used in the laboratory to inactivate the RNase enzymes from water and other laboratory utensils. It inactivates the RNases by the covalent modifications of the histidine residues. DEPC cannot be used with Tris buffer or HEPES since they inactivate DEPC by reacting with it. In contrast it can be used with PBS or MOPS. A handy rule is that enzymes or chemicals which have active -O:, -N: or -S: cannot be treated with DEPC to become RNase-free as DEPC reacts with these species. Furthermore DEPC degradation products can inhibit in vitro transcription.
DEPC treated (and therefore RNase-free) water is used in handling of RNA in the laboratory, to reduce the risk of RNA being degraded by RNases.
DEPC derivatization of histidines is also used to study the importance of histidyl residues in enzymes. Modification of histidine by DEPC results in carbethoxylate derivates at the N-omega-2 nitrogen of the imidazole ring. DEPC modification of histidines can be reversed by treatment with 0.5M hydroxylamine at neutral pH.