Proteasomes are multi-subunit protease complexes that degrade ubiquitin-tagged proteins, maintaining protein homeostasis and regulating diverse cellular processes such as cell cycle, signal transduction, and stress responses. The 26S proteasome, composed of the 20S catalytic core and 19S regulatory particles, exhibits multiple proteolytic activities: chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like, and caspase-like. Accurate measurement of these activities is crucial for elucidating proteasome function and for screening proteasome inhibitors as therapeutic agents.

Applications

• Basic Research: Understanding proteasome function, regulation, and substrate specificity
• Disease Studies: Investigating proteasome dysfunction in cancer, neurodegeneration, and immune disorders
• Drug Discovery: Screening and characterization of proteasome inhibitors as therapeutic candidates
• Quality Control: Monitoring proteasome activity in recombinant protein production or cell culture systems

Proteasome assay kits employing fluorogenic substrates and affinity enrichment provide robust and sensitive methods for measuring proteasome activity in diverse biological samples. These assay kits are indispensable for advancing our understanding of proteasome biology and for developing proteasome-targeted therapies.