Application of the fluorescamine reaction with 6-aminopenicillanic acid to estimation and detection of penicillin acylase activity

6-Aminopenicillanic acid may be quantitatively estimated by its reaction with fluorescamine in the concentration range of 1 to 10 micrograms/ml. The difference in reactivity between 6-aminopenicillanic acid and benzylpenicillin, which does not react with fluorescamine, can be used to determine penicillin acylase activity and obtain data on enzyme parameters and inhibitors. Unlike amino acids and peptides, 6-aminopenicillanic acid reacts strongly with fluorescamine at pH 4, an observation which can be used to determine the presence of penicillin acylase in whole bacterial cell preparations.