Factors modifying enzyme

activity
Dr. Sivashankar Raja
 Factors modifying enzyme activity
• Enzymes are biological catalysts made up of large protein
molecules. They speed up the chemical reactions inside the
cell.
• The enzyme is made up of a combination of amino acids
which form a chain of polypeptides between each other.
• Enzymes are similar to other chemical catalysts. They
participate in the reaction without getting affected.
• In other words, they speed up the chemical reactions inside
the cells without getting consumed.
• Enzymes are affected by the hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
and the temperature. Enzymes are highly specific compared
to other catalysts, and each enzyme is specialized for one
reactant substance. 
 Factors modifying enzyme activity
• This reactant substance is called substrate, and it is
specialized for one type of reaction or a few reactions.

• Enzymes lower the activation energy required to get the

reaction started. Collectively, these are the most important
properties of the enzyme.

• There are several factors that affect the speed of an

enzyme’s action, such as the concentration of the enzyme,
the concentration of the substrate, temperature, hydrogen
ion concentration (pH), and the presence of inhibitors.
 At lower concentration, the active sites on most of
the enzyme molecules are not filled because there
is not much substrate.
 Higher concentration cause more collision between
the molecules.
 The rate of reaction increases and a maximum
velocity of a reaction is reached when the active
sites are almost continuously filled.
 Increased substrate concentration after this point
will not increases the rate.
 Reaction rate therefore increases as substrate
concentration is increases but it levels off.
 4 Effect of Temperature
• Raising the temperature increases the kinetic energy of the molecule.
• Increasing the kinetic energy also increases their motion and frequency with
which they collide.
• This combination of more frequent and more highly energetic productive
collision increases the reaction rate.
 7 Influence of end product
 End product accumulation retards the enzyme
activity
 Active site of the enzyme become crowded with the
products
 Thus the substrate molecules will have comparatively
lesser chances of combining with the active sites
 Inhibition by end product is also a regulatory
mechanism of enzyme such as feedback inhibition or
allosteric modulation.
 8 Influence of activator

• Activators they enhance the activity of an enzyme.

• Some of the enzymes require certain inorganic metallic
cations, like Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Na+, K+
etc., for their optimum activity.
• Compounds which are active as prosthetic groups or
which provide stabilization of the enzyme’s
conformation or the enzyme-substrate complex
• Rarely, anions are also needed for enzyme activity, e.g.
a chloride ion (CI–) for amylase
 9 Light and radiation
• Some enzymes are sensitive to light
and some require presence of light for
their activity
• Photolyase enzyme involved in the
photoreactivation DNA repair require
light for its enzyme activity
• Usually, enzymatic activity is reduced
under the influence of harmful
radiation such as X-rays, UV rays, beta
and gamma rays.
• Under theses radiations, peroxides are
formed which will cause oxidative
stress.