The SignaTECT® Protein Kinase Assay Systems contain the proprietary SAM2® Biotin Capture Membrane, which offers significant advantages over other radioactive technologies for assaying protein kinases. The streptavidin-coated SAM2® Membranes possess high binding capacity and high specificity characteristics, which produce lower backgrounds and higher signal-to-noise ratios compared to the traditional P81 phosphocellulose method of capture and measurement. The perforated and numbered membrane allows researchers to measure from 1 up to 96 kinase reactions. The SAM2® Membrane format does not require as much "hands-on" manipulation as other methods used to measure kinase activity. Following the kinase reaction, samples are spotted onto the SAM2® Membrane, and a series of short wash steps are performed to remove nonspecific label. The process is complete in less than 1 hour. In addition, the nature of the SAM2® Membrane allows it to be used under a variety of buffer/reaction conditions (e.g., cell extracts), which many other methods do not allow. Lastly, the high binding capacity allows use of the SignaTECT® Systems for kinetic studies.
Each system contains highly specific biotinylated peptide substrates for the appropriate kinase as well as the necessary reaction components. The researcher must supply [γ-32P]ATP.