title: A review on spectrophotometric methods for measuring the monophenolase and diphenolase activities of tyrosinase.
abstract: Tyrosinase is a copper enzyme with broad substrate specifity toward a lot of phenols with different biotechnological applications. The availability of quick and reliable measurement methods of the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase is of outstanding interest. A series of spectrophotometric methods for determining the monophenolase and diphenolase activities of tyrosinase are discussed. The product of both reactions is the o-quinone of the corresponding monophenol/diphenol. According to the stability and properties of the o-quinone, the substrate is classified as four substrate types. For each of these substrate types, we indicate the best method for measuring diphenolase activity (among eight methods) and, when applicable, for measuring monophenolase activity (among four methods). The analytical and numerical solutions to the system of differential equations corresponding to the reaction mechanism of each case confirm the underlying validity of the different spectrophotometric methods proposed for the kinetic characterization of tyrosinase in its action on different substrates.
authors.affiliation: GENZ: Grupo de Investigación de Enzimología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Molina
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varón
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-López
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Cánovas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tudela
mesh_terms: D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D010088:Oxidoreductases; D004156:Catechol Oxidase; C412191:monophenolase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase