A new enzyme-coupled spectrophotometric method for the determination of arginase activity.

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) is presented. Arginase is coupled to urease and glutamate dehydrogenase and the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm due to the oxidation of NADPH is followed. The method is rapid, is sensitive, is economical and permits continuous monitoring. The initial velocities were directly proportional to the enzyme concentrations between 0.06 and 0.30 units per 0.5 ml. The Lineweaver-Burk plot yielded positive allosteric behavior for the tetrameric enzyme. The K' and the Hill coefficient, n, calculated from Hill plot were found to be 4.7 mM and 1.26 (r = 1.00), respectively. These values are in good agreement with the literature.