A one-step assay for pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase using a short AG1-X8 column

A rapid and simple method for assay of pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase is presented. In this method, the incubation is terminated by raising the pH of incubation mixture to 10, and [14C]pyrroline 5-carboxylate produced from the substrate, [14C]glutamate, is first converted quantitatively to [14C]proline by reduction with NaBH4 at pH 10 and then the proline is allowed to pass through column of AG1-X8 anion exchanger under the conditions where the glutamate is completely retained by the column. Radioactive counting of the eluate gives the synthase activity. The entire procedure takes only one hour.