What is the Difference Between Guanidine Thiocyanate and Guanidine Hydrochloride?

Guanidine thiocyanate and guanidine hydrochloride are both protein denaturants, but they have different strengths and uses. Here are the key differences between them:

1. Strength: Guanidine thiocyanate is a stronger protein denaturant than guanidine hydrochloride. It is more commonly used in RNA isolation due to its ability to denature proteins more effectively.
2. Chemical Formula: The chemical formula for guanidine thiocyanate is C(HS), while the chemical formula for guanidine hydrochloride is CH5N3.HCl.
3. RNA Isolation: Guanidine thiocyanate is more commonly used in RNA isolation, as it is a stronger denaturant and can effectively break down proteins and nucleic acids. Guanidine hydrochloride, on the other hand, is less commonly used in RNA isolation due to its weaker denaturant properties.

Both guanidine thiocyanate and guanidine hydrochloride are chaotropic agents, meaning they disrupt non-covalent bonds in proteins and nucleic acids. However, the stronger denaturant properties of guanidine thiocyanate make it more suitable for RNA isolation.

Comparative Table: Guanidine Thiocyanate vs Guanidine Hydrochloride

Guanidine thiocyanate and guanidine hydrochloride are both protein denaturants, but they have different properties and applications. Here is a table comparing their differences:

Both guanidine thiocyanate and guanidine hydrochloride have guanidine in their structures and are chaotropic agents, which means they reduce the amount of order in protein structures, causing protein denaturation. However, guanidine thiocyanate is a stronger protein denaturant and is more commonly used in RNA isolation, while guanidine hydrochloride is a weaker protein denaturant and is less commonly used in RNA isolation.