Skip to Content
MilliporeSigma
All Photos(4)

Documents

G9277

Sigma-Aldrich

Guanidine thiocyanate

for molecular biology, ≥99%

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing

Synonym(s):
Guanidinium rhodanide, Guanidinium thiocyanate
Linear Formula:
NH2C(=NH)NH2 · HSCN
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
118.16
Beilstein/REAXYS Number:
3563461
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352107
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.31

biological source

synthetic (organic)

Quality Level

grade

for molecular biology

assay

≥99%

form

powder or crystals

storage condition

(Tightly closed. Dry. )

technique(s)

RNA extraction: suitable

color

colorless to white,

mp

120-122 °C (lit.)

solubility

water: 100 mg/mL, clear, colorless

density

1.29 g/cm3 at 20 °C (68 °F)

cation traces

Ba: ≤5 ppm
Fe: ≤5 ppm
Na: ≤0.5%
heavy metals (as Pb): ≤5 ppm

application(s)

agriculture

foreign activity

DNase, RNase, none detected

SMILES string

SC#N.NC(N)=N

InChI

1S/CH5N3.CHNS/c2-1(3)4;2-1-3/h(H5,2,3,4);3H

InChI key

ZJYYHGLJYGJLLN-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

Guanidine thiocyanate, or guanidinium rhodanide, is a versatile chemical compound widely used in molecular biology and biochemical research. Acting as a chaotropic agent, it disrupts cell and organelle membranes, facilitating cell lysis and organelle isolation. Notably, it serves as a potent protein denaturant, surpassing guanidine hydrochloride in unfolding proteins. This property is valuable for purifying nucleic acids from crude cell lysates, effectively separating nucleic acids from denatured proteins.

In nucleic acid purification, guanidine thiocyanate is effective in inactivating DNases and RNases, preventing nucleic acid degradation and ensuring favorable yields. Its dual denaturing and enzyme-inhibiting properties make it crucial for DNA and RNA studies. Beyond nucleic acid isolation, guanidine thiocyanate is used for cell lysis and virus particle inactivation during RNA and DNA extractions. It not only disrupts membranes but also denatures RNase and DNase enzymes, protecting extracted nucleic acids from enzymatic degradation. The versatility of guanidine thiocyanate extends to molecular biology techniques like PCR, Northern blotting, and Southern blotting. It serves as a vital reagent in these methods, contributing to the successful analysis and amplification of nucleic acids.

Application

Guanidine thiocyanate has been used:
  • for the lysis of colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line prior to RNA isolation
  • as a PCR inhibitor in triplex mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) qPCR assay
  • for DNA extraction from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Chaotropic agent and strong denaturant; solubilizes cells.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Guanidine thiocyanate is a denaturing agent and is used routinely in RNA isolation. It is used as a storage buffer for whole blood samples. Guanidine thiocyanate inactivates nucleases and is ideal for storing and freezing fecal samples for DNA studies. It is used in combination with phenol−chloroform in RNA extraction.

Features and Benefits

  • Highly versatile surfactant for your cell biology and biochemical research
  • Suitable for RNA extraction in sensitive molecular biology applications
  • Free from Dnase and Rnase
  • Tested to confirm low levels of heavy metal contamination, ensuring suitability for various applications

Other Notes

For additional information on our range of Biochemicals, please complete this form.

pictograms

CorrosionExclamation mark

signalword

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Dermal - Acute Tox. 4 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Aquatic Chronic 3 - Eye Dam. 1 - Skin Corr. 1C

supp_hazards

Storage Class

8B - Non-combustible, corrosive hazardous materials

wgk_germany

WGK 2

flash_point_f

Not applicable

flash_point_c

Not applicable

ppe

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves


Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Development of a universal internal positive control
Kavlick MF
Biotechniques, 65(5), 275-280 (2018)
Comprehensive PCR-based assay for detection and species identification of human herpesviruses
Johnson G, et al.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 38(9), 3274-3279 (2000)
Direct isolation of poly (A)+ RNA from 4 M guanidine thiocyanate-lysed cell extracts using locked nucleic acid-oligo (T) capture
Jacobsen N, et al.
Nucleic Acids Research, 32(7), e64-e64 (2004)
Preservation of nucleic acid integrity in guanidine thiocyanate lysates of whole blood
Kravchenko AV, et al.
Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 32(6), 547-551 (2006)
Martin Roszkowski et al.
Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 9, 648274-648274 (2021-05-11)
The extraction of high-quality ribonucleic acid (RNA) from tissues and cells is a key step in many biological assays. Guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform (AGPC) is a widely used and efficient method to obtain pure RNA from most tissues and cells. However, it

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service