Preferred Label : Michaelis–Menten mechanism;
IUPAC definition : The Michaelis–Menten mechanism is the simplest mechanism that will explain Michaelis–Menten
kinetics. According to the mechanism, a substrate A first combines with a molecule
of enzyme E, and this process is followed by a step in which the enzyme-substrate
complex EA breaks down (sometimes with the participation of the solvent) into enzyme
and reaction products: \[{E} {A}\overset{k_{1}}{\underset{k_{-1}}\rightleftharpoons
}{EA}\overset{k_{2}}{\rightarrow }{E} {Products}\] If, as is usual, the substrate
A is present in great excess of the enzyme it can be shown that steady-state conditions
apply, and that the rate equation is: \[v \frac{k_{2}\ \left[{E}\right]_{0}\ \left[{A}\right]}{\frac{k_{-1}\,
\,k_{2}}{k_{1}}\, \,\left[{A}\right]}\] where E0 is the total concentration of enzyme.
This equation is of the form of the Michaelis–Menten equation. Other, more complicated,
mechanisms lead to the Michaelis–Menten equation, adherence to which therefore does
not require that the Michaelis– Menten mechanism applies.;
Origin ID : M03893;
See also
The Michaelis–Menten mechanism is the simplest mechanism that will explain Michaelis–Menten
kinetics. According to the mechanism, a substrate A first combines with a molecule
of enzyme E, and this process is followed by a step in which the enzyme-substrate
complex EA breaks down (sometimes with the participation of the solvent) into enzyme
and reaction products: \[{E} {A}\overset{k_{1}}{\underset{k_{-1}}\rightleftharpoons
}{EA}\overset{k_{2}}{\rightarrow }{E} {Products}\] If, as is usual, the substrate
A is present in great excess of the enzyme it can be shown that steady-state conditions
apply, and that the rate equation is: \[v \frac{k_{2}\ \left[{E}\right]_{0}\ \left[{A}\right]}{\frac{k_{-1}\,
\,k_{2}}{k_{1}}\, \,\left[{A}\right]}\] where E0 is the total concentration of enzyme.
This equation is of the form of the Michaelis–Menten equation. Other, more complicated,
mechanisms lead to the Michaelis–Menten equation, adherence to which therefore does
not require that the Michaelis– Menten mechanism applies.
