Uses
HEPPS (EPPS) is a commonly used Good's buffer. It is often used as separator in ultrathin isoelectric focusing gels and enhances the resolution of phosphoglucomutase. It is used as a buffering agent in biology and biochemistry. HEPPS is a biological buffer with a useful pH range of 7.3-8.7 and a pKa=8.0 at 25°C. Research on mice with Alzheimer's disease-like amyloid beta plaques has shown that HEPPS can cause the plaques to break up, reversing some of the symptoms in the mice. HEPPS was reported to dissociate amyloid beta oligomers in patients' plasma samples enabling blood diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
General Description
HEPPS, or N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N′-(3-propanesulfonic acid), is a zwitterionic buffering agent commonly used in biochemical and molecular biology research. Its mechanism of action is rooted in its ability to maintain a stable pH environment, which is crucial for various enzymatic reactions and protein studies. HEPPS is especially favoured for its buffering capacity in the physiological pH range, typically between pH 6.8 and 8.2, making it ideal for biological assays and cell culture experiments. This compound is extensively utilized in preparing cell culture media, where maintaining a consistent pH is essential for cell viability and growth. Additionally, HEPPS is employed in biochemical assays, such as enzyme kinetics studies, where precise pH control is necessary to accurately measure enzymatic activity. Furthermore, HEPPS has found applications in molecular biology techniques, including nucleic acid purification, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Its compatibility with various biological systems and stability under physiological conditions make HEPPS a valuable tool in research laboratories for maintaining optimal pH conditions and ensuring reliable experimental outcomes in various biochemical and molecular biology studies.
