Cetrimonium Bromide (CTAB)

Cetrimonium bromide  is one of the components of the topical antiseptic cetrimide. The cetrimonium (or hexadecyltrimethylammonium) cation is an effective antiseptic agent against bacteria and fungi. It is a cationic surfactant. Its uses include providing a buffer solution for the extraction of DNA. It has been widely used in synthesis of gold nanoparticles (e.g., spheres, rods, bipyramids). It is also widely used in hair conditioning products. Because of the broad distribution of negative charges in glycoproteins, these form broad, fuzzy bands in SDS-PAGE (Laemmli-electrophoresis). This can be avoided by using positively charged detergents like CTAB  instead of the negatively charged SDS. Proteins can be blotted from CTAB-gels in analogy to western blots ("eastern blot"), and CTAB-PAGE can be used as second dimension after IEF. Myelin-associated high hydrophobic protein can be analyzed using CTAB 2-DE.