PicoProbeTM Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Activity Assay Kit

Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II [GCPII, EC 3.4.17.21; N-acetylated-alpha-linked acidic dipeptidase (NAALADase), prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) or folate hydrolase (FOLH1)] is a zinc-metallopeptidase, multifunctional protein. In humans, it is mainly expressed in the nervous system, prostate, small intestine and kidney. In males, PSMA is overexpressed in patients suffering prostate cancer and thus, it is used as a diagnostic marker for this disease. NAALADase, the brain isozyme, plays an important role in Glutamate biosynthesis and could be used for treating neuronal damage caused by excess glutamate in brain. BioVision’s PicoProbeTM Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Activity Assay Kit is a simple plate-based fluorometric assay for the measurement of GCPII activity in Biological Samples. The provided substrate is transaminated in the presence of GCPII producing glutamate. The detection system is based on an enzymatic reaction in which a fluorogenic probe is reduced generating a stable signal. The reduced fluorophore produces a strong signal which is directly proportional to the amount of active GCPII in samples. The assay can detect as low as 0.5 µU of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II.