Anaspec has announced the release of the SensolyteO 520 Calpain Activity Assay Kit, a longest-wavelength Fret-based calpain assay.
Optimised for detecting calpain activity, the kit contains an internally quenched 5-FAM/QXLTM 520 Fret substrate.
Cleavage of this Fret substrate generates two separate fragments.
The subsequent release of 5-FAM fluorescence can be monitored at excitation/emission= 490/520nm.
Increase in fluorescence is proportional to the calpain activity.
The assay can detect both calpain 1 (m) and 2 (m) activities and is said to be ideal for kinetic study of these enzymes.
The long-wavelength fluorescence of 5-FAM is less interfered by the autofluorescence of components in biological samples and test compounds.
Calpains are a family of intracellular cysteine proteases, which consists of at least 15 ubiquitous and tissue-specific isoforms.
The best-characterised calpains are the isoforms u- and m-calpain, which are also known as calpain 1 and calpain 2, respectively.
Calpains are calcium-dependent and function by modulating the biological activities of many proteins through selective cleavage.
Studies have demonstrated that calpains are implicated in a variety of calcium-regulated cellular processes such as signal transduction, cell proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and platelet activation.
Deregulation of calpains activities has been implicated in various pathological phenomena such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Calpains represent potential therapeutic targets for drug development.
