On the relationship between reaction order and stoichiometry in irreversible inhibition of enzymes.

The relationship between reaction order and stoichiometry in inhibition of enzymes by potentially irreversible inhibitors is discussed. It is pointed out that in an overwhelming fraction of cases reported or imagined, the order in inhibitor concentration approximates one, regardless of actual stoichiometry. It follows that reaction order should not be employed as a reliable measure of the number of amino acid residues involved in the inactivation process.