ELECTROPHORETICALLY MEDIATED MICROANALYSIS OF LEUCINE AMINOPEPTIDASE IN COMPLEX MATRICES USING TIME-RESOLVED LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE DETECTION

Leucine aminopeptidase, a clinically significant enzyme, was assayed i n complex biological samples using a new technique termed electrophore tically mediated microanalysis. The assay was performed in capillary e lectrophoresis columns using time resolved laser-induced fluorescence detection. Human serum, human urine, and Escherichia coli supernatant samples were assayed using this method. Results for serum and urine we re within the ranges of expected values found in the literature. A low concentration of 6 x 10(-13) M enzyme in buffer was detected using th is method. A detection limit (3sigma) of 400 enzyme molecules in buffe r was determined.