Assays continuous

The initial velocity of reaction is defined by the slope of a linear plot of product (or substrate) concentration as a function of time (Chapter 2), and we have just discussed the importance of measuring enzymatic activity during this initial velocity phase of the reaction. The best measure of initial velocity is thus obtained by continuous measurement of product formation or substrate disappearance with time over a convenient portion of the intial velocity phase. However, continuous monitoring of assay signal is not always practical. Copeland (2000) has described three types of assay readouts for measuring reaction velocity continuous assays, discontinuous... 

Washiya, K., Furuike, T., Nakajima, F., Lee, Y. C. and Nishimura, S. I. (2000). Design of fluorogenic substrates for continuous assay of sialyl-transferase by resonance energy transfer. Anal. Biochem. 283, 39-48. 

Zaikova, T. (2001). Synthesis of fluorogenic substrates for continuous assay of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Bioconjug. Chem. 12, 307-313. 

A titrametric assay of PLCSc, alternatively called the pH-stat method, was the workhorse in early studies [28]. This method simply involves titrating the acidic product of the PLC reaction as it is formed with a solution of standard base. An advantage of this continuous assay is that it can be used to detect the turnover of both synthetic and natural substrates, and its sensitivity has been estimated to be in the 20-100 nmol range. However, the pH-stat assay has low throughput capability, and it cannot be easily performed in a parallel fashion with multiple substrate concentrations. It is also necessary to exclude atmospheric carbon dioxide from the aqueous media containing the enzyme and substrate. 

Static experiments have been performed for radiolabeled surfactants [42,63], with microorganisms [8] or contaminated sediment exposure [64], since continuous assays are difficult, expensive (large amount of radiolabeled chemical needed) and restrictive (due to safety regulations) to perform. To avoid surfactant depletion in water, the exposure times are shorter, 15 h [26] or 24 h [12,24], but are valid for determining the BCF when the steady state is reached [8], and the actual exposure concentration (not the nominal) is used. 

The major advantage associated with continuous assays is that the initial rate of product formation can be determined with complete confidence, and any unusual behavior of the enzyme would be immediately apparent. The major disadvantage is a question of throughput an instrument such as a platereader would remain dedicated to the reading of a single plate for the duration of the enzyme-substrate incubation period, compared with an equivalent discontinuous assay where an entire plate may be measured in a... 

The major advantage associated with the discontinuous approach is that only a single measurement is made, facilitating data analysis. In addition, for spectrometer- and platereader-based assays, many more samples can be measured in unit time, compared with the equivalent continuous assay system. 

If an inhibitor has a slow ofif-rate , this may be observed in a continuous assay as a slow recovery in enzyme activity, with an initial rate equivalent to that expected with a reversible inhibitor increasing slowly until the rate is equivalent to that expected with a reversible inhibitor. In the earher example, the rate measured in group 4 would thus be expected to increase slowly almost ninefold, as inhibitor dissociates from the enzyme. 

The velocity of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction can be measured either by a continuous assay or by a stopped-time protocol. Whenever possible, the continuous measurement of a velocity (e.g., the increase or decrease in absorbance vx. time) should be utilized. In stopped-time assays, the investigator must demonstrate that the reaction is completely terminated at the specified point in time and that products are readily and quantitatively separated from substrates. In addition, one must show that the system is under initial rate conditions. Thus, at least three or four different time points should be chosen. Stopped-time assays also require an assay blank (for t = 0). In this blank, typically the quenching conditions are applied prior to the initiation step. Whenever practicable, replicate kinetic analyses should be done, even with continuous assay protocols. See Enzyme Assay Methods Basal Rate... 

SELENOPHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE STARCH PHOSPHORYLASE SUCCINYL-CoA SYNTHETASE SUCROSE PHOSPHORYLASE TUBULIN.TYROSINE LIGASE ORTHOPHOSPHATE CONTINUOUS ASSAY Orthovanadate,... 

Walde P. and Luisi P. L. (1989). A continuous assay for lipases in reverse micelles based on fourier flansform infrared spectroscopy. Biochemistry, 28, 3353-7. 

The availability of both the cataboHc aldolase and the uniquely synthetic anabolic synthase made it possible to assemble a novel continuous assay for the determination of the metabolite N-acetylneuraminic acid [46]. A combination of both enzymes, in the presence of an excess of PEP, will start a cycle in which the determinant sialic acid will undergo a steady conversion of cleavage and re-syn-thesis as a futile cycle (Scheme 2.2.5.24). With each progression, however, 1 equiv of pyruvate is liberated simultaneously, which causes time-dependent signal amplification. Pyruvate is quantified spectrophotometrically by a corresponding NADH consumption when the system is coupled to the standard pyruvate dehy-... 

Figure Cl. 1.2 shows a typical time course resulting from a continuous assay of product formation in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The hyperbolic nature of the curve illustrates that the reaction rate decreases as the reaction nears completion. The reaction rate, at any given time, is the slope of the line tangent to the curve at the point corresponding to the time of interest. Reaction rates decrease as reactions progress for several reasons, including substrate depletion, reactant concentrations approaching equilibrium values (i.e., the reverse reaction becomes relevant), product inhibition, enzyme inactivation, and/or a change in reaction conditions (e.g., pH as the reaction proceeds). With respect to each of these reasons, their effects will be at a minimum in the initial phase of the reaction—i.e., under conditions corresponding to initial velocity measurements. Hence, the interpretation of initial velocity data is relatively simple and thus widely used in enzyme-related assays.

The greatest advantage of the spectrophotometric method is that it is direct and rapid, requires no sample workup, and allows for continuous assays of lipase activity compared to the multiple fixed-time-point analyses incumbent within Basic Protocols 1 and 2. The spectrophotometric method can also be done using very small volumes (as small as 1 ml) and is suitable for following the course of purification (such as in chromatographic fractions) or adaptable to 96-well plates (and subject to automation, if available). Thus, it is the method of choice for screening several samples or preparations for lipase (esterase) activity. 

In practice it is often more convenient to measure the release of a phenol from an aryl phosphomonoester. Standard serum phosphatase methods employ phenyl phosphate (188), p-nitrophenyl phosphate (189), phenolphthalein monophosphate (140), or thymolphthalein monophosphate (141) where the phenol released can be determined spectrophoto-metrically [only the Bodansky method (13) uses a Pi determination]. A number of fluorogenic substrates have been used for phosphatase studies, e.g., jS-naphthyl phosphate (30, 148), 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (143), and 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphate (144) The main advantage here is the much greater sensitivity of fluorescence as compared with spectrophotometric assays as little as 1 pmole of 4-methyl-umbelliferone can be detected in continuous assay. 

GA Krafft, GT Wang. Synthetic approaches to continuous assays of retroviral proteases. Meth Enzymol 241 70-86, 1994. 

Knight, C.G., Willenbrock, F., and Murphy, G. 1992. A novel coumarin-labelled peptide for sensitive continuous assays of the metalloproteinases. FEBS Lett. 296, 263-266. 

Figure 1.2 The assay of an enzymatic activity by the continuous assay method. In the illustration, the reaction mixture is transferred to a cuvette, which is shown in place in the light path of the spectrometer. The addition of the enzyme directly to the cuvette initiates the reaction. Product formation results in a change in absorbance, which is monitored continuously by the detector. This change signals a deflection on a recorder. Note that product formation requires neither termination of the reaction nor separation of the substrate from the product.

Not all assays require a separation step, and this fact may be used to develop a classification scheme for assay methods. Assays that require no separation have been grouped under the heading continuous assay methods, while discontinuous methods incorporate those that do. 

A new, continuous assay for prolyl isomerases was developed by Garda-Echeverrla et al (1992). 

Barker S, Kassel D, Weigl D et al (1995) Characterization of pp60c src tyrosine kinase activities using a continuous assay Autoactivation of the enzyme is an intermolecular autophosphorylation process. Biochemistry 34 14843-14851... 

Continuous assays are rarely described for lipases, but are frequently described for esterases. Similar to lipases, esterases hydrolyze ester bonds. However, in contrast to lipases, their substrates are water-soluble and thus water-soluble fluorescent substrates can be used to measure their enzymatic activity. Some of these water-soluble substrates have been proposed for the measurement of lipolytic ac-... 

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