A modified radiometric assay for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

A radiometric assay for measuring the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is described. The assay is based on the separation of the mevalonate product from HMG-CoA by high-voltage electrophoresis. This method is more sensitive and more specific than the NADPH-based spectrophotometric assay, and less tedious than available radiometric assays. It has been used to measure HMG-CoA reductase activity in crude extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in human skin fibroblasts.