Homocysteine Lyase Activity Assay Kit (Fluorometric)

Homocysteine α,γ-Lyase (HCYase) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of homocysteine to hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and α-ketobutyrate. HCYase is present in high activity in the anaerobic protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis but is absent from mammals. The Trichomonas HCYase is highly selective for homocysteine as compared to cysteine. Additionally, it has broad pH stability (pH 6-8) and is thermally stable up to 50°C. This makes rHCYase a promising candidate for therapeutic applications including the diagnosis of hyperhomocystenemia, which has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. BioVision’s Homocysteine Lyase Activity Assay Kit is a simple, quick and sensitive method to assay HCYase activity in bacterial samples. The assay relies on the HCYase-catalyzed release of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which reacts with a fluorogenic probe to form a stable fluorophore measured at Ex/Em = 368/460 nm.