At the 14th Annual SBS Conference in St. Louis, MO, AnaSpec presented its latest findings in regards to the detection of TACE activity using FRET technology. The poster was entitled, “A Novel Fluorimetric Assay for the Detection of TACE (α-Secretase) Activity Using a Long Wavelength FRET Peptide Substrate”.

TACE (TNF- α converting enzyme), also called ADAM17 or α-secretase, is involved in myogenesis, neurogenesis, and fertilization through the process of shedding of cell surface proteins. TACE is the predominant 'sheddase' responsible for the generation of soluble mature TNF.1 Considerable efforts have been made for the research and development of anti-TNF- α agents to reduce the severity of inflammatory responses in disease states. The inhibition of TACE by a pharmacological agent may represent an alternative approach to modulate the effect of TNF-α.2

To facilitate high throughput screening of TACE inhibitors, AnaSpec synthesized a novel peptide substrate for TACE using QXL™ 520/5-FAM FRET pair. Using this FRET substrate, AnaSpec developed a new kit – the SensoLyte™ 520 TACE Activity Assay. This kit can be used to detect the activity of the enzyme and for screening of TACE inhibitors. It is highly sensitive and can detect subnanogram amounts of enzyme.

About AnaSpec, Inc
AnaSpec, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated proteomics solutions to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research institutions throughout the world. AnaSpec focuses on three core technologies: peptides, detection reagents, and combinatorial chemistry. Established in 1993, AnaSpec's headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in San Jose, CA.

References:
1. Moss, ML. et al. Nature 385, 733 (1997).
2. Levin, JI. et al. Bioor. Med. Chem. Lett. 13, 2799 (2003).