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Recent development of highly sensitive protease assay methods: Signal amplification through enzyme cascades

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Abstract

Proteases are involved in almost all biological processes, and therefore, aberrant activity of many of these enzymes is an important indicator of disease. Various methods have been developed to analyze protease activity, among which, protease assays based on resonance energy transfer are currently used most widely. However, quantitative methods with relatively higher sensitivity are needed, especially for disease diagnosis at early stages. One of the strategies to achieve higher sensitivity is to implement signal amplification of the protease activity. In this review, we briefly summarize the protease assay methods based on resonance energy transfer, and then elaborate the efforts to develop sensitive protease assays through signal amplification by using enzyme cascades.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 443-749, Korea

    Hyun Kyung Yoon, Jae-Ho Kim & Tae Hyeon Yoo

  2. Department of Bio and Nano Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul, 136-702, Korea

    Sang Taek Jung

  3. Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 443-749, Korea

    Tae Hyeon Yoo

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  1. Hyun Kyung Yoon
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Correspondence to Tae Hyeon Yoo.

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Yoon, H.K., Jung, S.T., Kim, JH. et al. Recent development of highly sensitive protease assay methods: Signal amplification through enzyme cascades. Biotechnol Bioproc E 17, 1113–1119 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-012-0545-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-012-0545-9

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