Provided is a glycated protein assay reagent containing at least a Trinder reagent, 4-aminoantipyrine, protease, a stabilizer of the protease, and ferrocyanide, wherein at least the Trinder reagent is contained in a Trinder reagent-containing partial composition, at least the 4-aminoantipyrine is contained in a 4-aminoantipyrine-containing partial composition, the stabilizer of the protease is a stabilizer that increases the oxidation-reduction potential of the ferrocyanide above 0.058 V when the stabilizer of the protease and the ferrocyanide are mixed, and the oxidation-reduction potential is an oxidation-reduction potential in a reaction system containing the stabilizer of the protease and the ferrocyanide and not containing glycated protein.

Provided is a glycated protein assay reagent containing at least a Trinder reagent, 4-aminoantipyrine, protease, a stabilizer of the protease, and ferrocyanide, wherein at least the Trinder reagent is contained in a Trinder reagent-containing partial composition, at least the 4-aminoantipyrine is contained in a 4-aminoantipyrine-containing partial composition, the stabilizer of the protease is a stabilizer that increases the oxidation-reduction potential of the ferrocyanide above 0.058 V when the stabilizer of the protease and the ferrocyanide are mixed, and the oxidation-reduction potential is an oxidation-reduction potential in a reaction system containing the stabilizer of the protease and the ferrocyanide and not containing glycated protein.

Disclosed herein are an optimal range of salivary MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinase-9) protein concentrations which allows for screening the risk of periodontitis, a method of its application for screening the risk of periodontitis using this range, the methods each comprising the steps: of measuring a concentration of MMP-9 protein in saliva taken from a subject; and establishing an optimal range of salivary MMP-9 concentrations which allows for screening the risk of periodontitis. Utilizing saliva taken in a non-invasive manner from a subject, the methods make it convenient to screen periodontitis. In addition, the methods have the effect of quickly and accurate determining the risk of periodontitis by measuring a concentration of MMP-9 protein present in a trace amount in saliva and enable periodontitis to be easily determined in clinics and at home.

In some aspects, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for detecting and monitoring the activity of proteases in vivo using affinity assays. The disclosure relates, in part, to the discovery that biomarker nanoparticles targeted to the lymph nodes of a subject are useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of certain medical conditions (e.g., metastatic cancer, infection with certain pathogenic agents).

In some aspects, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for detecting and monitoring the activity of proteases in vivo using affinity assays. The disclosure relates, in part, to the discovery that biomarker nanoparticles targeted to the lymph nodes of a subject are useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of certain medical conditions (e.g., metastatic cancer, infection with certain pathogenic agents).

Turn-ON dioxetane-based chemiluminescence probes based on the Schapp's adamantylidene-dioxetane probe eh are useful for determining the presence, or measuring the level, of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific protease in a sample, and for assessing the susceptibility of the Mtb to an antibiotic drug. determining the presence or measuring the level of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific protease in the sample can include contacting the sample with a certain compound, and imaging the sample to detect an emission of light.

An electrochemical method for measuring the activity of biomarkers using microelectrode arrays functionalized with peptide consensus sequences and redox reporter moieties. Contact of the arrays with a biological sample containing one or more target biomarkers results in cleavage of the peptides and changes the electric current across the array in a quantifiable manner indicating not just the presence of the target biomarker in the sample, but its activity.

Using chemical proteomics with a potent unique irreversible inhibitor, inventors found that major brain tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) is a complex of vasohibin-1 (VASH1) with the Small Vasohibin-Binding Protein (SVBP). VASH1 and its homologue vasohibin-2 (VASH2), when complexed with SVBP, exhibit robust and specific Tyr/Phe carboxypeptidase activity on microtubules. Accordingly inventors are the first to identify the enzymatic activity of vasohibin and vasohibin/SVBP complex. Knock down of vasohibins or SVBP in cultured neurons results in a marked reduction of tyrosinated α-tubulin levels and onset of severe differentiation defects. Furthermore, knock down of vasohibins disrupts neuronal migration in developing mouse neocortex. These results establish vasohibin/SVBP complexes as TCP enzymes. Accordingly, the present invention relates methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating tubulin carboxypeptidases (TCP) associated diseases such as neurological disorders and cardiovascular diseases with an inhibitor of activity or expression of Vasohibin or Vasohibin/SVBP complex.

Using chemical proteomics with a potent unique irreversible inhibitor, inventors found that major brain tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) is a complex of vasohibin-1 (VASH1) with the Small Vasohibin-Binding Protein (SVBP). VASH1 and its homologue vasohibin-2 (VASH2), when complexed with SVBP, exhibit robust and specific Tyr/Phe carboxypeptidase activity on microtubules. Accordingly inventors are the first to identify the enzymatic activity of vasohibin and vasohibin/SVBP complex. Knock down of vasohibins or SVBP in cultured neurons results in a marked reduction of tyrosinated α-tubulin levels and onset of severe differentiation defects. Furthermore, knock down of vasohibins disrupts neuronal migration in developing mouse neocortex. These results establish vasohibin/SVBP complexes as TCP enzymes. Accordingly, the present invention relates methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating tubulin carboxypeptidases (TCP) associated diseases such as neurological disorders and cardiovascular diseases with an inhibitor of activity or expression of Vasohibin or Vasohibin/SVBP complex.

Use of a limited digestion with a proteolytic enzyme of a multispecific antibody for the analysis of the multispecific antibody's light chain pairing.