title: Time dependence of activation of muscle AMP-aminohydrolase by substrate and potassium ion.
abstract: The kinetics of AMP-aminohydrolase, which under steady state conditions shows a typical sigmoid dependence of initial velocities versus substrate concentration, have been examined by rapid mixing methods. Using this technique it was observed that when substrate or substrate plus activator (K(+)) were mixed with enzyme, the rate of appearance of product markedly increased during the first few tenths of a second. The time course of this change in rate was taken to reflect the progress of activation by substrate or by K(+). On the other hand, addition of activator to enzyme prior to mixing with substrate gave process curves for the formation of product consistent with normal Michaelis-Menten behaviour.Under the conditions where the reaction was examined, the enzyme at time zero had less than 10% of the activity of the fully active enzyme. The time course for activation with K(+) followed a first order process with a rate constant of 10.6 sec(-1) at 20 degrees C. A simple mechanism consistent with the data and capable of explaining the sigmoid dependence of initial velocities versus substrate concentrations observed in steady state kinetics was proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, 48823, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
authors.forename: C H.
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Suelter
authors.forename: A L.
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antonini