4-Methylumbelliferyl-β-D-Glucuronide (hydrate)

4-Methylumbelliferyl-β-D-Glucuronide (hydrate) (CAS No.: 881005-91-0) is a widely used fluorogenic substrate in biochemical and cell-based assays for the detection and quantification of β-glucuronidase activity. Upon enzymatic hydrolysis by β-glucuronidase, this compound releases the fluorescent moiety 4-methylumbelliferone, enabling sensitive measurement of enzyme activity with excitation and emission maxima at approximately 362 nm and 445 nm, respectively. As a synthetic glycoside substrate, it serves as a functional probe for studying lysosomal enzyme function, glycosaminoglycan metabolism, and related degradation pathways in diverse biological systems. This substrate is commonly applied in microbiological assays, including the detection and enumeration of Escherichia coli, as well as in cell biology studies investigating enzyme dysregulation in disease-relevant models. In vitro, its utility is defined by enzyme-dependent turnover rates that are typically evaluated across nanomolar to micromolar substrate concentrations, depending on assay configuration and sensitivity requirements. The compound is broadly employed in high-throughput screening, enzymatic kinetics studies, and mechanistic investigations of glucuronidase-associated pathways, with experimental conditions and concentrations optimized according to specific research objectives.