Biotin (Vitamin H) is a water-soluble B-vitamin and is necessary for cell growth, the production of fatty acids, and the metabolism of fats and amino acids.

METHODS: To induce significant biotinylation of neighboring proteins, supplementation with Biotin is required at concentrations typically between 10-50 µM, with optimal incubation times between 15-18 h, after which total biotinylation plateaus.
RESULTS: Due to the formation of covalent bonds between biotin and lysine residues on proteins, biotinylation appears to remain constant throughout the life cycle of the protein and can withstand stringent cleavage and washing conditions, thus maximizing the purity of isolated proteins identified by MS. The identified proteins can then be investigated as candidate interactors with POIs. [1]
METHODS: Mouse oligodendrocytes 158N were treated with Biotin (1-1000 nM) for 2 h, followed by the addition of 7β-OHC (50 µM) for a further 24 h. Cell viability was measured by MTT Assay.
RESULTS: 7β-OHC-induced cytotoxicity was only prevented by Biotin at a concentration of 10-1000 nM. [2]

Biotin serves as a coenzyme for carboxylases, involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, isoleucine, and valine, as well as in gluconeogenesis. In biological research, it is primarily used to label proteins for biochemical studies.