Direct NMR-spectroscopic Determination of Active-enzyme Concentration by Titration with a Labeled Inhibitor: Determination of the K(cat) Value of Almond Beta-glucosidase

A new method for the determination of active-enzyme concentration of a glucosidase by using (13)C NMR spectroscopy is reported. The method consists of quantifying the binding between a (13)C-labelled, strong competitive inhibitor, [5-(13)C]-1-azafagomine (1), and the enzyme. The concentration of free inhibitor 1 is measured in a series of binding experiments from the intensity of its NMR signal relative to that of a reference. From a plot of the concentrations of bound vs. free inhibitor 1, the amount of specifically bound 1, that is, the amount of active sites, is determined. From this value, active-enzyme concentration and k(cat) value can be calculated.