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Updated: May 6, 2026

Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays
Published on: October 1, 2013
Analysis of enzyme activities
Guillaume Ménard1, Benoit Biais, Duyên Prodhomme
1UMR 1332, INRA, Villenave d'Ornon cedex, France.
Abstract:
The evaluation of enzyme activities, especially their capacities, represents an important step towards the modelling of biochemical pathways in living organisms. The implementation of microplate technology enables the determination of up to >50 enzymes in relatively large numbers of samples and in various biological materials. Most of these enzymes are involved in central metabolism and several pathways are entirely covered. Direct or indirect assays can be used, as well as highly sensitive assays, depending on the abundance of the enzymes under study. To exemplify such methods, protocols for UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (E.C. 2.7.7.9) operating in real time and for pyrophosphate:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (E.C. 2.7.1.90) are presented.
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