Acrylamide

Acrylamide acts as a quencher of tryptophan fluorescence.[1] Acrylamide alkylates SH groups of cysteine and ε-NH2 lysine residues of proteins during electrophoresis.[1] Bis-acrylamide is required for crosslinking and acrylamide is vital for the polymerization of monomers. Acrylamide along with bis-acrylamide crosslinks to form polyacrylamide gels, which is used to separate protein and other biomolecules.[2]

Acrylamide (AA) is a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Potato products like, French fries, potato chips and also several cereal-based products contains acrylamide.[3] This highly reactive organic compound has the ability to polymerize to form polyacrylamide.[4]

Acrylamide has been used:

• for the synthesis of hydrogels[5][6]
• for the preparation of polyacrylamide gel[7][8]
• to agglomerate vimentin and keratin intermediate filament network[9]

Acrylamide has been used:

• to agglomerate the vimentin and keratin intermediate filament network of K562cells[9]
• in the preparation and characterization of soft culture substrate[8]
• in hydrogel synthesis[10]
• for determination of protein by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) electrophoresis[11]