"VRA-GlcNAc": novel substrate for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase applied to assay of this enzyme in urine.

We describe a new chromogenic substrate and assay for determining N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30; NAG) activity in normal and pathological human urine. The novel substrate, ammonium 5-[4-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3- methoxyphenylmethylene]-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one-3-ethan oate (VRA-GlcNAc), is prepared by condensation of vanillyl N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide and rhodanine-3-ethanoic acid. The phenol released by enzyme action has an intense absorption peak at 492 nm (epsilon = 37,000 L.mol-1.cm-1). The Km for NAG in urine was 0.5 mmol/L at pH 4.5. The substrate solution may be stored at 4-7 degrees C for one week without any increase in the substrate blank. For optimal assay conditions, we used a substrate concentration of 3 mmol/L and a 15-fold sample dilution at pH 4.5-5.0, with measurement at 505 nm, not significantly different from that at 492 nm. The sensitivity of the assay with VRA-GlcNAc as substrate is twice that of the MNP-GlcNAc [2-methoxy-4-(2'-nitrovinyl)-phenyl GlcNAc] procedure (Clin Chim Acta 1982;124:195-204) and can detect low amounts of minor NAG isoenzymes. This assay is an improvement on previously available colorimetric methods and could be easily incorporated into kits based on either an enzyme calibrant or the molar absorptivity of the phenol.