Michaelis-Menten? - What is it, how does it work, and explain please, if not redirecting? (Feb/19/2010 )

I believe the title's self-explanatory, but just in case...

what is Michaelis-Menten kinetics? I'm currently in grade 12 biology, and I don't quite understand the principles behind it. All I know is that it is related to enzyme activity, and it's related to the Burk-Lineweaver plot (somehow). Can someone summarize MMK? or at least direct me to a recommendable website with the needed information? Also, practice problems are greatly appreciated too!

~thanks!

it's basically a measure of the rate of reaction against substrate concentration

This link is fine... 2 seconds worth of google would have found you that.

pokesurfer on Feb 20 2010, 06:15 AM said:

it shows how much of a substrate is necessary to reach a certain reaction velocity; an enzyme may have various substrates which are differently catalyzed; you can compare the specificities of various substrates by comparing Km and vmax; a good substrate has a Km in the nanomolar range

HI FREN...

"MMK"....so called...nice term! hahah...by the way, one of the real application is ELISA....It's all about the kinetics of enzyme reaction bcoz of time, temperature, substrate and so on....u juz google ELISA = enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

NHI on Jul 13 2010, 08:21 AM said:

I do not think that ELISA is a good way to start understanding MMK; ELISA is just a method which can determine MMK but will not be enough to understand the basics of enzymes, catalysis and MMK...

yup..it's not enough...but what i mention is......."one of the real application is ELISA".....i didn't mention ELISA is the best way to understand the Principle of MMK......sometime people need more hands on application to understand the principle rather than rely on all the thematic and fundamental of equation..

With the assumptions, Michaelis-Menten equation is to describe the first order reaction of substrate-enzyme reactions. From there, we can evaluate the function of the enzyme or the efficiency of the substrates, study how the substrate regulate the enzyme....

More importantly, I think it is the basis when the inhibitors/substrates were also added. It has been applied to many fields like antibody binds to antigen, ligand-receptor.... you name!

More opinions?!

Somehow, I have been working with Michaelis-Menten equation for my whole phD time. Suddenly, I do not know to summarize this simple equaiton.

Hey.. Thats a good question.. Lemme try to explain in simple words.. Being a 12th std student, u ll b knowing that rate equation gives you info abt the rate of the reaction as a function of concentration of the reactants (Rate also depends on Temp, pH etc).. In simpler words, it tells u wat ll be the rate or how fast the reaction occurs if the reactants are at particular concentration. MM Equn is a type of rate equation. It tells u an idea of the rate of the reaction when the substrate concentration is given. It is based on the assumption that all the biological reaction occurs by the formation of an intermediate or a high energy complex which then degrades to the product(s).

The application of this in ur level ll be to find the MM (Vm and K) constants. U can find the MM (or Kinetic) constants by many ways. One of the ways is by LB Plot. LB equation is just the reciprocal of MM equation. when reciprocated, u ll get LB Equn in the form of y = mx + C (straight line of course) y is 1/v (= 1/rate of the reaction) x = 1/s (=1/substrate concentration ). Just for a table with corresponding y vs x. Plot it in a graph. The slope is k/Vm. Find Vm by finding the intercept. Substitute Vm in the slope. U can find K....

Hop this helps u..