Assay of arginine-specific adenosine-5'-diphosphate-ribosyltransferase by capillary electrophoresis

Using high-voltage capillary electrophoresis we detected ADP-ribosylarginine, a product of ADP-ribosylation reaction catalyzed by arginine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase in the presence of NAD and L-arginine. The authentic ADP-ribosylarginine, detected by its ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm, had a different retention time from NAD or nicotinamide. When the ADP-ribosylation reaction products were analyzed, the peak corresponding to ADP-ribosylarginine increased with incubation time and in an enzyme-dose-dependent manner. The lower limit of detection was 0.3 pmol, a value 100 times lower than that obtained with the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay described previously. Using the capillary electrophoresis system, a thiol-independent ADP-ribosyltransferase activity was detected in chicken spleen cell membrane. Since the capillary electrophoresis assay for ADP-ribosylarginine is simpler, faster, and less expensive than the high-performance liquid chromatography assay, determination of arginine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase activity in animal tissues will be facilitated.