Strep-tag® Technology


Principle and properties

The Strep-tag® purification system is based on the highly selective and easily controllable interaction between the Strep-tag II peptide and specially engineered streptavidin called Strep-Tactin. The binding affinity of Strep-tag II to Strep-Tactin is nearly 100 times higher than to streptavidin. The tagged protein binds to immobilized Strep-Tactin during affinity purification. Physiological buffers like PBS in combination with a wide range of additives can be used (see Table 1, Strep-Tactin® resin specifications). After a short washing step, gentle elution of purified recombinant protein is performed by addition of desthiobiotin (2.5 mM) in the same buffer. Desthiobiotin is an inexpensive, reversibly binding and stable analog of biotin - the natural ligand of streptavidin. This competitive elution is the second step conferring specificity thus enabling unparalleled purification factors. The system is safe and easy to use; column regeneration and activity status are visualized by a color change on the purification column.
Convenient detection of Strep-tag fusion proteins can be performed in Western blots, ELISA, electron or fluorescence microscopy. Appropriate Strep-Tactin enzyme conjugates and monoclonal antibodies against Strep-tag II are available.


Strep-tag®II

The short peptide tag (8 amino acids) has negligible effect on the recombinant protein due to its chemically balanced amino acid composition (WSHPQFEK). The tag can be placed at the C- or N-terminus. A two amino acid spacer between the protein and the tag is recommended to ensure accessibility of the tag. Generally, it does not interfere with folding or bioactivity, does not react with heavy metal ion buffer impurities, has no ion exchange properties and does not induce protein aggregation. Thus, there is no need for removing the tag.


Strep-Tactin®

Strep-Tactin is a streptavidin derivative which is one of the most stable proteins known. Streptavidin is stable to treatment with 8 M urea or guanidine, 0.5 M NaOH as well as 50 % formamide (t = 1 h; T = 37 °C). Proteases (proteinase pepsin, papain, subtilisin, thermolysin, elastase) do not cleave streptavidin during a 2 h incubation at a 1:50 w/w ratio and 37 °C. In the presence of SDS streptavidin begins to break up into monomers only at temperatures above 60 °C. As far as tested, we have been able to confirm these extraordinary properties for Strep-Tactin, thus enabling long-lasting affinity columns which can be re-used 3-5 times. Furthermore, the neutral pI of Strep-Tactin minimizes non-specific protein or nucleic acid binding. See also "reagents compatible with Strep-tag / Strep-Tactin interaction".


Benefits

  • Purification of bioactive recombinant proteins
  • Physiological purification using desthiobiotin elution
  • Protein aggregation is avoided
  • Broad range of detergents, chelators, salt or redox conditions allowed
  • Avoids interaction with heavy metal ions which are toxic and may catalyze protein oxidation


Recommended paper:

For reference of Strep-tag technology please quote "Schmidt TGM and Skerra A, 2007. The Strep-tag system for one-step purification and high-affinity detection or capturing of proteins. NATURE PROTOCOLS 2, 1528-1535."
abstract

Reprints are available from the authors upon request.



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