title: A sensitive assay for ornithine amino transferase in rat brain mitochondria by ninhydrin method.
abstract: To establish/develop an assay method for measuring Ornithine Aminotransferase (EC.2.6.1.13) activity using rat brain mitochondria as a source of enzyme in presence and absence of Pyridoxal Phosphate (PLP). The modified method, with the improved sensitivity, is adopted for the assay of ornithine amino transferase activity in rat brain mitochondria. The enzyme activity was measured at 620 nm, the study showed that reaction was optimum at 37°C for 30 minutes. The assay is sensitive enough to detect activity at the order of nanomoles pyrroline-5-carboxylate/mg protein/minute and can be compared as an alternative to the radio isotopic method which is more cumbersome and aminobenzaldehyde method which is less sensitive. The K(m) & V(max) shows maximum activity in the presence of Pyridoxal Phosphate (Coenzyme) concentration at 0.05mM when compared with absence of Pyridoxal Phosphate as higher the concentration of Pyridoxal Phosphate affects the affinity of the enzyme to substrate. The OAT activity in different tissues of the rat was also studied and highest activity was found in liver and kidney.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, 560029 India  ; Department of Biochemistry, Central College Campus, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 560001 India  ; School of Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Jnanabharathi Campus, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 560056 India  ; School of Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Jnanabharathi Campus, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 560056 Karnataka India.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ravi Kumar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ananda
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Devaraju
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sampath Kumar
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Suresh Babu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramachandraswamy
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Puttaraju
keywords: Ornithine Aminotransferase; Pyridoxal Phosphate; Pyrroline-5-carboxylate-Ninhydrin complex; Transmission electron microscope