The purpose of the invention is to provide a novel hematopoiesis-promoting agent and a medicament comprising the hematopoiesis-promoting agent as an active ingredient for preventing or treating anemia, in particular refractory anemia. The present invention provides a hematopoiesis-promoting agent comprising an S-adenosylmethionine synthase inhibitor.

A method for determining the activity of Rab escort protein 1 (REP1) comprising the steps: (a) providing a sample comprising REP1; (b) contacting the sample of step (a) with Rab6a, Rab geranylgeranyltransferase (Rab GGTase) and a lipid donor substrate; and (c) detecting the lipidated Rab6a product.

The present inventors have surprisingly found that a deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) gene, which was previously reported to correlate with prostate cancer and cervical cancer, is highly responsive to arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer, whereby the gene can be used as a desired marker for arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this finding. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for determining arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer, which method includes detecting expression of a deoxyhypusine synthase gene in a test sample (preferably a blood sample), and determining arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer of a test subject from which the test sample has been obtained, on the basis of an increase in the gene expression as an index.

The present inventors have surprisingly found that a deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) gene, which was previously reported to correlate with prostate cancer and cervical cancer, is highly responsive to arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer, whereby the gene can be used as a desired marker for arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this finding. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for determining arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer, which method includes detecting expression of a deoxyhypusine synthase gene in a test sample (preferably a blood sample), and determining arteriosclerosis or digestive system cancer of a test subject from which the test sample has been obtained, on the basis of an increase in the gene expression as an index.

A method for detecting anti-deoxyhypusine synthase autoantibody in a subject, wherein the method includes detecting, in a blood, serum, or plasma sample from a test subject with digestive system cancer, the amount of anti-deoxyhypusine synthase autoantibody, wherein the autoantibody is able to bind to a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a novel hematopoiesis-promoting agent and a medicament comprising the hematopoiesis-promoting agent as an active ingredient for preventing or treating anemia, in particular refractory anemia. The present invention provides a hematopoiesis-promoting agent comprising an S-adenosylmethionine synthase inhibitor.

A method for determining the activity of Rab escort protein 1 (REP1) comprising the steps: (a) providing a sample comprising REP1; (b) contacting the sample of step (a) with Rab6a, Rab geranylgeranyltransferase (Rab GGTase) and a lipid donor substrate; and (c) detecting the lipidated Rab6a product.

Method for the detection of glutamine and its analogues are provided by the present disclosure. Also provided are methods for measuring the levels of glutamine and its analogues, including diagnostic methods. Further provided are methods that utilise glutamine analogues for the synthesis of coloured pigments and other useful agents. The methods comprise the use of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) under conditions to produce an indigoidine or indigoidine-related pigment.

Methods for measuring REP-1 and REP-2 activity are provided. In certain embodiments, a method includes: (a) contacting cells that do not express endogenous functional REP-1 or REP-2 protein with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector comprising a CHM gene encoding a REP-1 protein or CHM like gene encoding a REP-2 protein under conditions allowing cell transduction; (b) incubating transduced cells under conditions allowing expression of the encoded REP-1 or REP-2 protein; (c) lysing the transduced cells to produce an extract comprising the encoded REP-1 or REP-2 protein and Rab small GTPase (Rabs); (d) incubating said extract with a Rab substrate for a period of time and under conditions allowing prenylation of the Rab thereby forming prenylated Rab; and (e) detecting and/or quantifying the prenylated Rab, wherein the amount of prenylated Rab reflects REP-1 or REP-2 activity thereby measuring REP-1 or REP-2 activity.

The present invention includes a method and kit for detecting porphobilinogen fluorometrically comprising: obtaining a sample suspected of having a porphobilinogen; catalyzing a reaction in the sample with a porphobilinogen deaminase to form a porphyrin; exposing the porphyrin to a light source having a 399 nm wavelength; detecting fluorometrically the amount of porphyrin in the sample; and correlating the amount of porphyrin in the sample to an amount of porphobilinogen in the sample, wherein the ratio of porphobilinogen to porphyrin is 4:1.