Guide To Fusion Tags

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There are numerous reasons to highlight a protein of interest. For instance, you may want to study its cellular localization or purify it for crystallization. While commercially available antibodies exist for many proteins, it can be challenging to develop a specific antibody for a particular target. To overcome this, scientists have created a versatile molecular toolbox of fusion tags.

A fusion tag is a protein or peptide that is fused to your protein of interest. Since these tags are well characterized, a wide array of highly effective antibodies are available, making it easier to detect specific proteins for various applications. The process of attaching the sequence to your protein is typically accomplished using recombinant DNA, where the DNA of your protein of interest is integrated into a plasmid that contains the fusion tag sequence. The fusion tag is attached to the protein when the plasmid is expressed.

Understand the advantages and limitations of the most commonly used fusion tags. Although there is no definitive way to choose the best tag or fusion location for your experiment, this guide can act as a starting point based on your target protein and application.