Patent ID: 7374897

Claim:
A method for assaying an alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase in a sample, said method comprises: a) contacting a sample suspected of containing an alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase with (2R)-pristanoyl-CoA to generate (2S)-pristanoyl-CoA; b) converting said (2S)-pristanoyl-CoA from step a) if generated to trans-2,3-dehydropristanoyl-CoA in the presence of a (2S)-pristanoyl-CoA converting enzyme and a first electron acceptor in its oxidized form, whereby reduced form of the first electron acceptor is generated; said trans-2,3-dehydropristanoyl-CoA is converted back to (2S)-pristanoyl-CoA in the presence of a trans-2,3-dehydropristanoyl-CoA converting enzyme and a second electron acceptor in its reduced form to form a cycling reaction system, whereby oxidized form of the second electron acceptor is generated; wherein the first electron acceptor and the second electron acceptor are different; and c) assessing concentration change of the reduced or oxidized form of the first electron acceptor or the reduced or oxidized form of the second electron acceptor in said cycling reaction system, whereby the presence, absence and/or the amount of the alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase in the sample is determined.