- ≥99% HPLC purity
- Lot-matched certificate of analysis
- Ships next business day, tracked
Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Biotin solution at 10 mg/mL in a 10 mL research vial
- FormClear aqueous solution in a sealed vial
- Mol. weight244.31 g/mol
- Research areasCarboxylase biochemistry, biotinylation and affinity capture, assay interference studies, hair and skin models
Supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Overview
Biotin, also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, is a bicyclic compound consisting of a ureido ring fused to a tetrahydrothiophene ring carrying a valeric acid side chain. That side-chain carboxyl is the attachment point through which biotin is covalently linked to lysine residues on carboxylase enzymes, forming the biocytin linkage that makes the vitamin function as a mobile carboxyl carrier.
In mammalian metabolism, biotin serves as the prosthetic group for five carboxylases: acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 and 2 in fatty acid synthesis and oxidation control, pyruvate carboxylase in gluconeogenesis, propionyl-CoA carboxylase in odd-chain fatty acid and amino acid catabolism, and methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase in leucine breakdown. Holocarboxylase synthetase attaches it and biotinidase recycles it, a cycle studied in inherited metabolic disorder models.
Beyond metabolism, biotin is one of the most important reagents in molecular biology because of its extraordinarily tight, non-covalent binding to avidin and streptavidin — among the strongest such interactions known. That property underlies biotinylation labeling, affinity purification, ELISA detection systems and countless assay architectures. Supplied as a 10 mg/mL solution in a 10 mL vial with a lot-matched COA, for laboratory research use only.
Specifications
Identity
- CAS number
- 58-85-5
- Molecular formula
- C10H16N2O3S
- Molecular weight
- 244.31 g/mol
Supply & purity
- Form
- Clear aqueous solution in a sealed vial
Additional detail
- Concentration
- 10 mg/mL biotin
- Vial size
- 10 mL
- Also known as
- Vitamin B7, vitamin H, coenzyme R
- Chemical class
- Bicyclic ureido-thiophene water-soluble vitamin
- Enzyme role
- Prosthetic group for acetyl-CoA, pyruvate, propionyl-CoA and methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylases
- Binding partners
- Avidin and streptavidin, with femtomolar-range dissociation constants
- Research areas
- Carboxylase biochemistry, biotinylation and affinity capture, assay interference studies, hair and skin models
- Storage
- 2–8 °C, protected from light; do not freeze
- Assay note
- Excess free biotin saturates streptavidin capture and can distort immunoassay results
Questions about Biotin (Vitamin B7)
What is biotin?
Biotin, or vitamin B7, is a water-soluble bicyclic vitamin that acts as the prosthetic group for five carboxylase enzymes in mammalian metabolism. It is also the ligand half of the biotin-streptavidin pair used throughout molecular biology.
What concentration is supplied?
The solution is supplied at 10 mg/mL in a 10 mL vial, ready to use with no weighing or reconstitution. Biotin has modest solubility in neutral aqueous media, so a prepared solution avoids the dissolution difficulties of the free acid powder.
How should biotin be stored?
Keep the vial refrigerated at 2–8 °C, protected from light, and do not freeze. If crystals appear after cold storage, warming to room temperature with gentle mixing usually restores a clear solution before use.
Is this lot tested?
Yes. Each lot ships with a lot-matched Certificate of Analysis documenting identity, concentration and purity, available for review before purchase so the material can be assessed against your own acceptance criteria.
Related
