A biochemist discovers and purifies a new enzyme, generating the purification table below. Procedure Total Protein (Mg) Activity (Units) Crude Extract 20,000 4,000,000 Precipitation (Salt) 5,000 3,000,000 Precipitation (pH) 4,000 1,000,000 Ion Exchange Chromatography 200 800,000 Affinity Chromatography 50 750,000 Size-exclusion Chromatography 45 675,000 a) From the information given in the table, calculate the specific activity of the enzyme after each purification procedure. b) Which of the purification procedures used for this enzyme is most effective (i.e., gives the greatest relative increase in purity)? c) Which of the purification procedures is least effective? d) Is there any indication based on the results shown in the table that the enzyme after step 6 is now pure? What else could be done to estimate the purity of the enzyme preparation?
Enzyme kinetics
In biochemistry, enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts. Catalysis is the addition of a catalyst to a chemical reaction to speed up the pace of the reaction. Catalysis can be categorized as either homogeneous or heterogeneous, depending on whether the catalysts are distributed in the same phase as that of the reactants. Enzymes are an essential part of the cell because, without them, many organic processes would slow down and thus will affect the processes that are important for cell survival and sustenance.
Regulation of Enzymes
A substance that acts as a catalyst to regulate the reaction rate in the living organism's metabolic pathways without itself getting altered is an enzyme. Most of the biological reactions and metabolic pathways in the living systems are carried out by enzymes. They are specific for their works and work in particular conditions. It maintains the best possible rate of reaction in the most stable state. The enzymes have distinct properties as they can proceed with the reaction in any direction, their particular binding sites, pH specificity, temperature specificity required in very few amounts.
A biochemist discovers and purifies a new enzyme, generating the purification table below.
Procedure Total Protein (Mg) Activity (Units)
Crude Extract 20,000 4,000,000
Precipitation (Salt) 5,000 3,000,000
Precipitation (pH) 4,000 1,000,000
Ion Exchange Chromatography 200 800,000
Affinity Chromatography 50 750,000
Size-exclusion Chromatography 45 675,000
a) From the information given in the table, calculate the specific activity of the enzyme
after each purification procedure.
b) Which of the purification procedures used for this enzyme is most effective (i.e., gives
the greatest relative increase in purity)?
c) Which of the purification procedures is least effective?
d) Is there any indication based on the results shown in the table that the enzyme after step
6 is now pure? What else could be done to estimate the purity of the enzyme
preparation?
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