Neutral enzyme activity

Potentiometry is another useful method for determining enzyme activity in cases where the reaction Hberates or consumes protons. This is the so-called pH-stat method. pH is kept constant by countertitration, and the amount of acid or base requited is measured. An example of the use of this method is the determination of Hpase activity. The enzyme hydroly2es triglycerides and the fatty acids formed are neutralized with NaOH. The rate of consumption of NaOH is a measure of the catalytic activity. 

A few enzymes, such as the previously mentioned CNP, are believed to be fairly specific for myelin/oligodendro-cytes. There is much more in the CNS than in peripheral nerve, suggesting some function more specialized to the CNS. In addition, a unique pH 7.2 cholesterol ester hydrolase is also enriched in myelin. On the other hand, there are many enzymes that are not myelin-specific but appear to be intrinsic to myelin and not contaminants. These include cAMP-stimulated kinase, calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase, protein kinase C, a neutral protease activity and phosphoprotein phosphatases. The protein kinase C and phosphatase activities are presumed to be responsible for the rapid turnover of MBP phosphate groups, and the PLP acylation enzyme activity is also intrinsic to myelin. 

Interpretation of KIEs on enzymatic processes (see Chapter 11) has been frequently based on the assumption that the intrinsic value of the kinetic isotope effect is known. Chemical reactions have long been used as models for catalytic events occurring in enzyme active sites and in some cases this analogy has worked quite well. One example is the decarboxylation of 4-pyridylacetic acid presented in Fig. 10.9. Depending on the solvent, either the zwitterionic or the neutral form dominates in the solution. Since the reaction rates in D20/H20 solvent mixtures are the same (see Section 11.4 for a discussion of aqueous D/H solvent isotope effects), as are the carbon KIEs for the carboxylic carbon, it is safe to assume that this is a single step reaction. The isotope effects on pKa are expected to be close to the value of 1.0014 determined for benzoic acid. This in mind, changes in the isotope effects have been attributed to changes in solvation. 

Additional information <4> (<4> enzyme activity remains stable in a wide neutral range of pH [12]) [12]... 

The pH optimum varies for different enzymes The pH at which maximal enzyme activity is achieved is different for different enzymes, and often reflects the [H+] at which the enzyme functions in the body. For example, pepsin, a digestive enzyme In the stomach, is maximally active at pH 2, whereas other enzymes, designed to work at neutral pH, are denatured by such an acidic environment (Figure 5.8). 

Ribonuclease-S can be separated into S-peptide [residues 1-20 (21)] and S-protein [residues 21 (22)-124] by precipitation with trichloroacetic acid 73) or better, Sephadex chromatography in 5% formic acid 83). The best preparations of these components show no detectable hydrolytic enzymic activity and little if any transphosphorylation activity (see Section VI). Isolated S-peptide appears to have no regular secondary structure 83, 84) or 10-20% helicity 85, 86). (These slightly different interpretations are based on almost identical CD data.) When equimolar amounts of S-protein and S-peptide are mixed at neutral pH and room temperature or below, essentially full catalytic activity is recovered 73, 87). A schematic diagram is shown in Fig. 7. For a detailed summary of the preparative procedures see Doscher 88). 

Most studies have concentrated on those conditions where reversible transitions can be demonstrated. However, at neutral pH the thermal transition temperature is high enough to introduce difficulties. Ribo-nuclease kept at 95° at pH 7 for 20 min is irreversibly denatured both in its spectral properties and enzymic activity (337). Tramer and Shugar showed that RNase inactivated at pH 7.8 by heating for 30 min has normalized all of its tyrosine residues as far as alkaline spectrophoto-metric titration is concerned. However, the magnitude of the acid difference spectrum is unaffected although the midpoint has shifted from pH 2 to 3. 

Na+, K+ Very weak Osmotic balance Charge neutralization Gradients and control mechanisms Structure stabilization (K+) Enzyme activation (K+)... 

Modification reactions that neutralize charges or introduce hydro-phobic residues usually lower the enzymic activity. The attachment of monosaccharides to alpha amylase by diazo coupling lowered the activity.12 This enzyme was stable to the reaction conditions for diazo coupling (pH 10,15 min at 0°) if the diazonium salts were not included in the solution. Inclusion of maltose in the reaction mixture to protect the active site lessened, but did not eliminate, the loss of activity, suggesting that the incorporation of hydrophobic structures, or the modification of a critical residue distant from the active site, was at least partly responsible for the loss of activity. 

Enzymes as catalysts Enzymes are catalysts that increase the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed themselves in the process. In the absence of an enzyme, the reaction may hardly proceed at all, whereas in its presence the rate can be increased up to 107-fold. Enzyme catalyzed reactions usually take place under relatively mild conditions (temperatures well below 100°C, atmospheric pressure and neutral pH) as compared to the corresponding chemical reactions. Enzymes are also highly specific with respect to the substrates that they act on and the products that they form. In addition, enzyme activity can be regulated, varying in response to the concentration of substrates or other molecules (see Topic C5). Nearly all enzymes are proteins, although a few catalytically active RNA molecules have been identified. 

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