n-Dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (DDM)

n-Dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (DDM) is a non-ionic detergent primarily used as a biochemical reagent to solubilize and stabilize integral membrane proteins from cellular lipid bilayers (PubChem CID 5361444). It is widely regarded as a gold standard in structural biology for maintaining the native conformation and activity of proteins like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) during purification and crystallization (Anatrace, 2023). DDM functions by inserting its hydrophobic dodecyl chain into the lipid bilayer, eventually disrupting the membrane to form protein-detergent micelles. While it is essential for the study of membrane-associated drug targets, DDM itself is not a therapeutic target, receptor, or enzyme involved in disease pathways. Its use is restricted to in vitro laboratory settings, as its ability to dissolve lipid bilayers makes it cytotoxic to living cells at concentrations above its critical micelle concentration (CMC). Consequently, it does not have a role in disease pathology or as a site for drug action in a clinical sense.

Other names

Lauryl maltosideDodecyl maltosiden-Dodecyl-beta-D-maltopyranosideDDMDodecyl-beta-D-maltoside

Solubilization of lipid bilayers through the formation of mixed micelles, preserving the native conformation of integral membrane proteins.