AnaSpec EGT Group, a leading provider of integrated proteomics and genomics solutions for worldwide life science research, has announced the release of two assay kits for quantitating enterokinase enzymatic activity – the SensoLyte 520 and SensoLyte Rh110 -  Enterokinase activity assay kits.

The SensoLyte 520 is a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)-based assay employing a novel internally quenched 5-FAM/QXL 520 substrate and the latter, an internally quenched fluorimetric peptide substrate. Both substrates emit at 520 nm with excitation at 490 nm. At the long emission wavelength of 520 nm, autofluorescence of components in biological samples and test compounds is minimal, thus making the kits ultra-sensitive. Assays are performed in a convenient 96-well microplate format.

Enterokinase or enteropeptidase is a heterodimeric serine protease produced by cells in the duodenal wall. It converts trypsinogen to trypsin, indirectly activating a number of pancreatic digestive enzymes. Enterokinase is a key enzyme for intestinal digestion of proteins. Its deficiency may cause severe protein malabsorption leading to impaired development and growth.

Enterokinase also plays an important role in acute experimental and clinical pancreatitis. The high degree of specificity exhibited by enteropeptidase for cleaving affinity or other tags from recombinant proteins makes it an ideal tool for use in biochemical applications.