Patent ID: 8765396

Claim:
A method of screening a test agent for activity to modulate an oxidative demethylation enzyme, comprising: preparing a test reaction comprising an oxidative demethylation enzyme, a substrate for the oxidative demethylation enzyme, a test agent and 4-amino-3-penten-2-one under physiological conditions, wherein the physiological conditions allow generation of formaldehyde by oxidative demethylation of the substrate by the enzyme in the absence of the test agent; detecting fluorescence in the test reaction, the fluorescence indicative of reaction of formaldehyde and 4-amino-3-penten-2-one in the test reaction under physiological conditions; and comparing the fluorescence detected in the test reaction with a control lacking the test agent, wherein a difference in detected fluorescence between the test reaction and the control is indicative of a change in activity of the oxidative demethylation enzyme in the presence of the test agent.