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Peptide Profile

TB-500 vs. Thymosin Beta-4 — what is the difference?

TB-500 is the active heptapeptide fragment of Thymosin Beta-4 — not identical, but structurally related. Molecular differences, G-actin binding domain, and research relevance compared.

Pepwerk Knowledge
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Research purposes only

What is Thymosin Beta-4?

Thymosin Beta-4 (Tβ4) is a naturally occurring 43-amino acid polypeptide found in nearly all tissues and cells of the human organism. It was first isolated from calf thymus in 1966 and is one of the most abundant intracellular peptides, with concentrations of up to 0.5 mM in platelets.

The primary biochemical function of Tβ4 is the sequestration of G-actin (monomeric actin) — it binds G-actin with high affinity, thereby regulating the balance between G-actin and F-actin (filamentous actin) within the cell.

What is TB-500?

TB-500 (Ac-LKKTETQ-NH₂) is a synthetic heptapeptide corresponding to the G-actin binding domain of Thymosin Beta-4 — amino acid residues 17 to 23 of the Tβ4 sequence. It is N-terminally acetylated and C-terminally amidated.

Parameter TB-500 Thymosin Beta-4
Amino acids 7 43
Sequence Ac-LKKTETQ-NH₂ 43 AA full sequence
Molecular weight 877.99 g/mol 4963 g/mol
CAS 885340-08-9 61512-21-8
Origin Synthetic · Tβ4 res. 17–23 Natural · Calf thymus

Important

TB-500 is not identical to Thymosin Beta-4. It is the isolated active fragment of the G-actin binding domain. The biochemical properties of the two compounds overlap but are not congruent.

G-actin binding domain

The LKKTETQ sequence corresponds to the central motif of the G-actin binding domain in Thymosin Beta-4. This region is responsible for the interaction with G-actin — the peptide binds to the actin subunit and prevents its polymerization into F-actin.

In cell culture systems, TB-500 modulates actin dynamics, thereby influencing cellular processes dependent on cytoskeletal organization — including cell migration, cell adhesion, and intracellular transport.

Documented Research Areas

  • G-actin sequestration — Actin polymerization kinetics in cell extracts
  • VEGFR2 signal transduction — Angiogenesis signaling pathways in HUVEC cultures
  • Cell migration assays — Scratch assays in endothelial cell cultures
  • Cytoskeletal imaging — Fluorescence microscopy of actin filament dynamics

Note

This article is for scientific information purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. TB-500 is not an approved medicinal product and is intended exclusively for research purposes in authorized laboratory environments.

TB-500 at Pepwerk

≥98% Purity · HPLC-verified · CoA included.

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CoA Library

TB-500 CoA publicly accessible.

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Further articles