Burke,Chaplin

Figure 7. (Figure 1.1) A schematic diagram showing the free energy profile of the course of an enzyme catalysed reaction involving the formation of enzyme-substrate (ES) and enzyme-product (EP)

Alamn Zrate Edition

39

complexes, i.e. " + + . The catalysed reaction pathway goes through the transition states TSc1, TSc2 and TSc3, with standard free energy of activation DGc*, whereas the uncatalysed reaction goes through the transition state TSu with standard free energy of activation DGu*. In this example the rate limiting step would be the conversion of ES into EP. Reactions involving several substrates and products, or more intermediates, are even more complicated. The Michaelis-Menten reaction scheme [1.7] would give a similar profile but without the EP-complex free energy trough. The schematic profile for the uncatalysed reaction is shown as the dashed line. It should be noted that the catalytic effect only concerns the lowering of the standard free energy of activation from DGu* to DGc* and has no effect on the overall free energy change (i.e.. the difference between the initial and final states) or the related equilibrium constant.