Why are concentrated enzymes more stable?

[Klaus Salger]

Tracy Aquilla wrote:
> 
> Anyone care to guess or have a reference?
> Tracy


Just a guess:

Many proteins are denatured when oxidated.

The percentage of oxygen in solution is constant (at a certain
temperature). This is also true for the rate at which oxygen is
dissolved in a solution when some of it is beeing used up (by
oxidation).
So the rate of denaturation of proteins in solution is constant and does
not depend on protein concentration (if the oxygen concentration is rate
limiting).

This would mean that the amount of denatured proteins would be constant
in concentrated and dilute protein solutions but not the percentage of
denatured proteins!
This would explain why the percentage of denatured enzymes is lower in
concentraged enzyme solutions.

As I said, this is just a guess. I hope somebody will correct me if I'm
wrong.


Cheers
  Klaus

-- 
Klaus Salger                phone : +49 (0)89 5902 -502
Zoologisches Institut       FAX   :                -450
AG MacWilliams              e-mail: salger at zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de
Luisenstr. 14               
80333 Muenchen
Germany

BioLinks: http://www.zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de/~salger/salger.html