In article <schuetze.67.2D4EAF05 at mailer.uni-marburg.de>
schuetze at mailer.uni-marburg.de (Hartmut Sch|tze) writes:
>>>QUESTION: Can we generalize from other available kinase data that the
>>reaction shown above is most likely to be irreversible?
>I think the reversibility of a given reaction is determined by the
>difference in free energy, and the enzyme mechanism which is used.
The reversibility of a reaction has nothing to do with the enzyme. Enzymes
accelerate the forward reaction by as much as the backward reaction.
>Or, in terms of Michaelis-Menten: if nor Product-Enzyme-complex can
>be formed, u have no backreaktion.
This, of course, never happens, unless the product evaporates (but even then
there will be some extent of condensation and back reaction). There is always
some formation of enzyme-product complexes (an often to a large extent).
Pedro Mendes
prm at aber.ac.uk
