Conductimetric Enzyme Assays.

A direct reading, six channel conductivity recording apparatus has been constructed and used to assay enzymes, including some of those found in muscle. This paper gives the essential theory of the method, and indicates that it is a highly versatile assay system. It may be applicable whenever ionic substrates are involved, but this is more easily tested by experiment than by calculation. The manipulation involved in an assay is probably less than in any other method. Conductimetry could be used as a kinetic method for some enzymes (for example amidases), but suffers from restrictions in the amounts of non-reacting ionic species which can be tolerated. Improvements in the temperature control of the apparatus could allow much higher sensitivity to be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]