''ortho''-Nitrophenyl-β-galactoside
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| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
(2R,3R,4S,5R)-2-(Hydroxymethyl)-6-(2-nitrophenoxy)oxane-3,4,5-triol | |
| Other names
2-Nitrophenylgalactoside, Ortho-Nitrophenyl-β-D-Galactopyranoside | |
| Identifiers | |
| 3D model (JSmol) |
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| Abbreviations | ONPG |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.006.106 |
| MeSH | 2-nitrophenylgalactoside |
| PubChem CID |
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| Properties | |
| C12H15NO8 | |
| Molar mass | 301.25 g·mol−1 |
| Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
| Infobox references | |
ortho-Nitrophenyl-β-galactoside (ONPG) is a colorimetric and spectrophotometric substrate for detection of β-galactosidase activity. This compound is normally colorless. However, if β-galactosidase is present, it hydrolyzes the ONPG molecule into galactose and ortho-nitrophenol. The latter compound has a yellow color that can be used to check for enzyme activity by means of a colorimetric assay (at 420 nm wavelength). β-Galactosidase is required for lactose utilization, so the intensity of the color produced can be used as a measure of the enzymatic rate.
Though ONPG mimics lactose and is hydrolyzed by β-galactosidase, it is unable to act as an inducer for the lac operon. Without another lactose analog that can act as an inducer, such as isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), β-galactosidase will not be transcribed and ONPG will not be hydrolyzed.