Anaspec has announced the launch of SensolyteO 520, a Fret-based thrombin activity assay kit.
Thrombin, a serine protease, plays a central role in hemostasis by converting soluble plasma fibrinogen into an insoluble fibrin clot and by promoting platelet aggregation.
Thrombin also influences a number of normal and pathological processes, including inflammation, tissue repair, embryogenesis, angiogenesis, and tumour invasion.
The SensolyteO 520 thrombin activity assay kit employs an internally quenched 5-Fam/QXLO 520 Fret substrate.
Thrombin cleaves the Fret substrate into two separate fragments resulting in release of the fluorescence of 5-Fam, a green dye.
Increase of fluorescence can be monitored at the commonly used excitation and emission wavelengths of 490nm and 520nm, respectively.
The long wavelength fluorescence of 5-Fam is less interfered by the autofluorescence of components in biological samples and test compounds, resulting in a high signal-to-background ratio.
Anaspec also offers a shorter wavelength thrombin assay - the SensolyteO AFC thrombin activity assay kit - which employs an AFC (7-amido-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin) labelled substrate.
