Protein G is a bacterial protein derived from the cell wall of certain strains of b-hemolytic Streptococcci. It binds with high affinity to the Fc portion of various classes and subclasses of immunoglobulins from a variety of species. Protein G binds to all IgG subclasses from human, mouse and rat species. It also binds to total IgG from guinea pig, rabbit, goat, cow, sheep, and horse. Protein G binds preferentially to the Fc portion of IgG, but can also bind to the Fab region, making it useful for purification of F(ab') fragments of IgG. Due to it's affinity for the Fc region of many mammalian immunoglobulins, protein G is considered a universal reagent in biochemistry and immunology.