Transketolase Activity Assay Kit (Fluorometric)

Transketolase (EC 2.2.1.1) is an important enzyme of the non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway, which metabolizes glucose to form pentose and NADPH. It is also involved in the photosynthetic Calvin cycle in plants and autotrophic bacteria. Transketolase (TKT) catalyzes two reactions in the pentose phosphate pathway, both of which are involved in the transfer of a 2-carbon glycoaldehyde fragment from a α-keto pentose sugar such as xylulose-5-phosphate to another aldose sugar such as ribose-5-phosphate or erythrose-4-phosphate. It is present in the cytosol of most tissues and its activity depends on the binding of thiamin pyrophosphate, a derivative of thiamin (Vitamin B1). Therefore TKT activity is decreased in thiamine deficiency and may be used in the diagnosis of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. BioVision’s Transketolase Activity Assay Kit is a simple, plate-based fluorometric assay for measuring TKT activity in biological samples. In this assay, TKT transfers a two-carbon group from a donor keto sugar to an acceptor aldose sugar. The product formed converts a non-fluorescent probe to a fluorescent product via an enzymatic reaction in the presence of a developer and an enzyme mix. The assay can detect as low as 5 µU of TKT activity in biological samples.