Pyruvate Kinase (PK) is an enzyme involved in glycolysis. It catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to ADP, yielding one molecule of pyruvate and one molecule of ATP. Pyruvate kinase deficiency, a genetic disease, is caused by a lack of pyruvate kinase and slows down the process of glycolysis. Pyruvate kinase is also involved in gluconeogenesis, a biochemical pathway in which the liver generates glucose from pyruvate and other substrates. BioAssay Systems' Pyruvate Kinase Assay Kit provides a simple, direct and automation-ready procedure for measuring pyruvate kinase activity. In this assay PEP and ADP are catalyzed by pyruvate kinase to generate pyruvate and ATP. The color intensity of the reaction product at 570nm or fluorescence intensity at ex/em = 530/590nm is directly proportional to the pyruvate generated by the Pyruvate Kinase in the sample. This product is for Research Use only and is not intended for diagnostic purposes.