Kinetic behaviour of alpha-chymotrypsin in reverse micelles. A stopped-flow study.

At the aim of investigating whether the early rapid phase of enzyme turnover is different in reverse micelles compared with bulk water, the kinetic properties of alpha-chymotrypsin have been studied in reverse micelles formed by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate in isooctane. Pre-steady state and steady-state kinetic constants, in water and in reverse micelles, have been determined by stopped-flow spectrophotometry for the hydrolysis of two substrates, namely acetyl-L-tryptophan-p-nitrophenyl ester and p-nitrophenyl acetate. It has been shown that, for both substrates, the acylation rate constant (k2) is very much lower in reverse micelles than in water. However, the deacylation rate constant (k3) and the turnover number (kcat) are not significantly changed in reverse micelles with respect to bulk water. Therefore, despite considerable rate changes in the acylation step, deacylation is rate limiting both in water as well as in reverse micelles, under the experimental conditions used.