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D5758

Sigma-Aldrich

Diethyl pyrocarbonate

96% (NT)

Synonym(s):

DEP, DEPC, Diethyl dicarbonate, Diethyl oxydiformate, Ethoxyformic acid anhydride

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
O(COOC2H5)2
CAS Number:
1609-47-8
Molecular Weight:
162.14
Beilstein:
637031
EC Number:
216-542-8
MDL number:
MFCD00009106
UNSPSC Code:
12352202
PubChem Substance ID:
24893964
NACRES:
NA.77

biological source

synthetic (microbial fermentation/ cell culture)

Quality Level

200

Assay

96% (NT)

form

liquid

refractive index

n20/D 1.398 (lit.)

bp

93-94 °C/18 mmHg (lit.)

density

1.101 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

shipped in

wet ice

storage temp.

2-8°C

SMILES string

CCOC(=O)OC(=O)OCC

InChI

1S/C6H10O5/c1-3-9-5(7)11-6(8)10-4-2/h3-4H2,1-2H3

InChI key

FFYPMLJYZAEMQB-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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General description

Diethyl Pyrocarbonate (DEPC) is a chemical use to inactivate RNase enzymes and is sensitive to moisture and pH. It decomposes at 155°C, to ethanol and carbon dioxide in aqueous solution. DEPC is also sensitive to ammonia, which causes decomposition to urethane, a possible carcinogen.

Application

Diethyl pyrocarbonate has been used in PCR reaction for treating deionized water, which reduces the risk of RNA being degraded by RNases. It is also used for Dot blot hybridization, to dilute total RNA isolated from different micro-organisms.
Modification reagent for His and Tyr residues in proteins. Robust probe for structural disruptions in dsDNA, reacting with fully or partially unstacked bases.

Biochem/physiol Actions

DEPC is a potent nuclease inhibitor.0.1% solution of DEPC is used to inactive RNase.
It inhibits the ryanodine binding to ryanodine/Ca2+ receptor channels in skeletal muscle in a dose and time dependent manner and increases the Ca2+ permeability of SR vesicles.
Inactivates RNase in solution at about 0.1% (v/v), thus protecting RNA against degradation.

Pictograms

Exclamation mark
GHS07

Signal Word

Warning

Hazard Statements

H302

Precautionary Statements

P264 - P270 - P301 + P312 - P501

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Oral

Storage Class Code

10 - Combustible liquids

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

156.2 °F - closed cup

Flash Point(C)

69 °C - closed cup

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Choose from one of the most recent versions:

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Lot/Batch Number
WXBF3527V
WXBF3675V
BCCF7889
BCCJ8445
WXBF3870V

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If you require a particular version, you can look up a specific certificate by the Lot or Batch number.

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  1. What is the stability of Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate, at room temperature?

    The material is stable at room temperature as long as it is protected from moisture.  We do recommend 2-8 °C for its storage.

  2. How can I tell if Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate, has degraded?

    DEPC breaks down to ethanol and carbon dioxide.  The carbon dioxide builds up pressure inside the bottle; when opened, it will degas and/or bubble out of the bottle.

  3. What buffers can I use with Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC)?

    DEPC reacts with amines, thiols, and alcohols.  Any buffer that contains an amine, e.g.., Trizma, should not be used.  View this information on the product information sheet (under Documents, above.

  4. What type of container should I use to handle Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC)?

    Glassware is preferable since some plastics, e.g.., polycarbonate, are known to react with DEPC.

  5. Why is stirring or shaking necessary when making RNAse-free water for use with Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate?

    DEPC is not very soluble in water. Stirring and/or shaking is necessary to suspend DEPC in water.

  6. What is the best way to use Product D5758, Diethyl pyrocarbonate, to inactivate RNAse?

    Add DEPC directly to the water to yield a 0.1 % solution.  Shake vigorously and allow to set overnight at room temperature with the lid loose or incubated for 2 hours at 37 °C.  The solution is then autoclaved 15 minutes for each liter.

  7. Which document(s) contains shelf-life or expiration date information for a given product?

    If available for a given product, the recommended re-test date or the expiration date can be found on the Certificate of Analysis.

  8. How do I get lot-specific information or a Certificate of Analysis?

    The lot specific COA document can be found by entering the lot number above under the "Documents" section.

  9. How do I find price and availability?

    There are several ways to find pricing and availability for our products. Once you log onto our website, you will find the price and availability displayed on the product detail page. You can contact any of our Customer Sales and Service offices to receive a quote.  USA customers:  1-800-325-3010 or view local office numbers.

  10. What is the Department of Transportation shipping information for this product?

    Transportation information can be found in Section 14 of the product's (M)SDS.To access the shipping information for this material, use the link on the product detail page for the product. 

  11. My question is not addressed here, how can I contact Technical Service for assistance?

    Ask a Scientist here.

H Perry-O'Keefe et al.
Journal of applied microbiology, 90(2), 180-189 (2001-02-13)
A method for rapid and simultaneous detection, identification and enumeration of specific micro-organisms using Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) probes is presented. The method is based on a membrane filtration technique. The membrane filter was incubated for a short period of
Properties of mouse globin messenger ribonucleic acid and its preparation in milligram quantities.
R Williamson et al.
Biochemistry, 10(16), 3014-3021 (1971-08-03)
V Shoshan-Barmatz et al.
The Biochemical journal, 299 ( Pt 1), 177-181 (1994-04-01)
Exposure of junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes or purified ryanodine receptor to the histidine-specific reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) led to concentration- and time-dependent inactivation of ryanodine binding. The pH-dependence of the inactivation of ryanodine binding by DEPC and the reversal
E C Williamson et al.
Journal of clinical microbiology, 39(1), 47-50 (2001-01-04)
Respiratory tract colonization with Scedosporium apiospermum in patients with chronic suppurative lung disease is a significant concern for lung transplantation candidates, since Scedosporium infections occurring posttransplantation are usually untreatable. Up to 10% of patients with cystic fibrosis attending our respiratory
Melina Papalampropoulou-Tsiridou et al.
Frontiers in cellular neuroscience, 14, 103-103 (2020-06-09)
Injury and inflammation cause tissue acidosis, which is a common feature of various painful conditions. Acid-Sensing Ion channels (ASICs) are amongst the main excitatory channels activated by extracellular protons and expressed in the nervous system. Six transcripts of ASIC subunits
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Articles

Water for Nuclease-sensitive Molecular Biology Studies

Nuclease-free water (or PCR water) is needed in molecular biology to avoid sample degradation during PCR, sequencing, etc. Ultrafiltration provides a quicker, safer, and more sustainable alternative to DEPC treatment when preparing RNase-free and DNase-free water.

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