Detection of histidine kinases via a filter-based assay and reverse-phase thin-layer chromatographic phosphoamino acid analysis

Anal Biochem. 2003 Dec 1;323(1):122-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2003.08.035.

Abstract

The methods that detect histidine phosphorylation have largely been either laborious or difficult to apply quantitatively. The major difficulty in assessing for its presence is its alkali-stable, acid-labile nature. While an assay that detects alkali-stable phosphorylation has been developed, it does not distinguish phosphohistidine from other alkali-stable phosphoamino acids. Using this established method, we extend the assay to facilitate the specific detection of phosphohistidine. We use the acid-lability of phosphohistidine as a defining feature in our approach for its detection. In addition, reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography was utilized to conclusively demonstrate the viability of the conditions that we implement in the assay for the selective detection of phosphohistidine. In summary, this report describes a rapid filter-based kinase assay that quantitatively measures histidine kinase activity, even in the presence of tyrosine kinase activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, Thin Layer / methods*
  • Fungal Proteins / analysis
  • Histidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Histidine / analysis
  • Histidine Kinase
  • Histones / analysis
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinases / analysis*
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • Histones
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Histidine
  • Protein Kinases
  • Histidine Kinase
  • phosphohistidine