I wondered if your lightning link kits could be used to label proteins other than antibodies? We are working with purified protein. Would the amount of protein used be different from the amount of antibody used? Do you have any references?
The kits are primarily designed to conjugate purified antibodies. However, because they work by targeting free amines they can be used to 'label' other molecules. When, using the kits to label other molecules the standard Lightning-Link rules will apply (i.e. the molecule must be purified, at a high concentration and in an amine free buffer), as the kits have been optimized for antibodies. The optimal amount of material to add to each Lightning-Link mix will have to be determined experimentally. I suggest the use of the 3 x 10ug pack. You may add different amounts of material to each vial and then test the resulting conjugates in your application. This way you can test the technology and obtain some degree of optimization with minimal investment of time, expense and material. Also note that the biotins are attached via a large scaffold molecule. While this increase in mass has no effect on traditional antibody applications it could cause a problem in your application. Finally, the kits do not target every amine. For example, an amine attached to a large aromatic ring or near an aromatic ring tends to be less reactive. The kits will not work with amides.