n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM)

n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) is a non-ionic detergent widely utilized in biochemical research for the solubilization and stabilization of integral membrane proteins (PubChem CID 5361444). It consists of a hydrophilic maltose head group and a hydrophobic twelve-carbon alkyl chain, allowing it to mimic the lipid environment of the cellular plasma membrane while maintaining the structural integrity and activity of membrane-bound enzymes and receptors (Anatrace, 2023). In the context of the cellular plasma membrane, DDM acts by partitioning into the lipid bilayer, leading to membrane disruption and the formation of mixed micelles (Link et al., 2007). While essential for structural biology and proteomics, DDM is not a therapeutic target and is primarily used as a laboratory tool to facilitate the study of membrane-associated molecules (Sigma-Aldrich, 2024). Its mild nature makes it particularly effective for preserving the native conformation of delicate proteins during extraction and purification processes.

Other names

n-Dodecyl-beta-D-maltopyranosideLauryl maltosideDodecyl maltosideDDMCellular plasma membrane – n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside

n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) acts as a mild non-ionic surfactant that intercalates into the cellular plasma membrane, disrupting the lipid bilayer and sequestering integral membrane proteins into detergent-protein micelles for extraction and purification (Link et al., 2007).