Gamma-Glutamyl-3-carboxy-14-nitroanilide: the substrate of choice for routine determinations of gamma-glutamyl-transferase activity in serum?

Gamma-Glutamyl-3-carboxy-4-nitroanilide has been tested as donor substrate in the assay of gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in serum, glycylglycine being used as acceptor substrate. This donor substrate is highly solube even in neutral solutions, in contrast to the commonly used gamma-glutamyl-4-nitroanilide. The enzyme which apparently acts accordingly to a ping-pong bi bi kinetic mechanism, shows an absolute KM value for gamma-glutamyl-3-carboxy-4-nitroanilide of about 0.64 mmol/l, and for glycylglycine of about 13.4 mmol/l. The former KM value is significantly lower than that previously found for gamma-glutamyl-4-nitroanilide. The carboxyl derivative exhibits a marked competitive inhibitory effect on the gamma-glutamyltransferase. This effect is more pronounced than that of gamma-glutamyl-4-nitroanilide. The carboxyl derivative has somewhat higher absorbance in the range of wave length (400-420 nm) used to monitor the formation of the product. It is concluded that as donor substrate in the assay of gamma-glutamyltransferase activity of serum, the new derivative is not substantially superior to the gamma-glutamyl-4-nitroanilide conventionally used.