Recovery of quenched radioactivity from thin-layer chromatographic plates. An improved assay for cGMP phosphodiesterase in Myxococcus xanthus.

Ammonium bicarbonate was found useful in extracting a variety of radiolabeled compounds from thin-layer chromatographic plates. The technique significantly increased the sensitivity of the assay for cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases. This method was used to show unequivocally, the presence of cGMP phosphodiesterase in vegetative cells of Myxococcus xanthus.