COURSE: BCH 301- INTRODUCTION TO

ENZYMOLOGY

LECTURE TOPIC: INTRODUCTION TO ENZYME

KINETICS
Lecturer: Prof. Timothy Bulus

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Definition
❖kinetics when applied to chemical or biochemical reactions, deals with measuring and studying the
rates of reactions.

❖ The rate of enzyme activity is the change in the concentration of reactant/substrate or that
of the product per time.

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Enzyme kinetics studies the relationship between
Enzyme activity and certain Factors:
✓Enzyme concentration
✓Concentration of ligand (ligands include Substrates, Inhibitors,
and Activators),
✓pH
✓ Ionic strength
✓ Temperature on enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

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Importance of kinetic study

I. Information on Enzyme mechanism.

II. Role of an enzyme under cellular conditions and the
response of an enzyme to changes in the
concentrations of metabolites can be known.
III. Clues to the way enzyme activity may be regulated
in vivo.
IV. Gives idea to the nature or identities of the amino
acid residues present in the active site of enzymes.
V. Useful in screening potential drugs as anti-disease
agents.
VI. Comparison of enzymes.
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THE CONCEPT OF RATE OF REACTION

The rate of any reaction is normally measured or determined in chemistry by:

i. The concentration of the reactant (or reactants), and
ii. The rate constant, k.

Since the reactant(s) is/are known as

‘substrate(s)’ in enzymology,

S P

the reaction rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction

can be expressed as:

V0 = k [S]………………………..(i) 5
 V0 = k [S]………………………..(i)

In equation (i) above, the rate depends only

on the concentration of a single reactant, the
Substrate. This is a case of unimolecular
reaction and such follows a first-order
reaction. k is a first order rate constant and
has units of reciprocal time (s-1).

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Unit of Enzyme Activity

One unit of enzyme activity is defined as the amount of enzyme that will
catalyzed the reaction leading to the production of one micromole of the
product per minute. OR,
One enzyme unit (katal) is referred to the amount of enzyme solution
required to transform 1 µmole of substrate into product(s) in 1 minute,
under standard condition o f pH, temperature, ionic strength and buffer type
.
It is expressed as:
µ𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆
1 enzyme unit Unit =
𝒎𝒊𝒏

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Enzyme activity (V0) may be determined through:

i. The rate of the disappearance of the substrate: as change in substrate concentration pe unit time
𝒅[𝑺]
( )
𝒅𝒕
i. The rate of the appearance of the product: as change in product concentration pe unit time

𝒅[𝑷]
( )
𝒅𝒕

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Hyperbolic Relationship between Enzyme activity
(rate of reaction ) and Substrate concentration.

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Explanation of Enzyme Hyperbolic Curve

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Mathematical Representation of the Hyperbolic
Curve

• Y=mX + C …………………represent linear relationship

• Y=aX2 + bX+C ……………present parabolic equation

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Parabola

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Equation of Hyperbolic Curve

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Michaelis Menten Hyperbolic Equation

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When [S] is low ([S] << Km)

Representing linear relationship

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When [S] is extremely high ([S] >> Km)

V0 = Vmax

Representing linear relationship

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When [S] is equal to Km ([S] = Km)

V0 = ½ Vmax

Representing linear relationship 20

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Mathematical working with Michaelis-Menten
equation
Suffice it to say that any term of the rate equation can be made the
subject of the equation from where its value may be determined.

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