Kinetic parameters for the cleaved substrate, and enzyme and substrate stability, vary with the phosphoacceptor in alkaline phosphatase catalysis.

Nine different isoenzymes and (or) isoforms of alkaline phosphatase (ALP; EC 3.1.3.1) from human tissue were studied with respect to Km and Vmax values for p-nitrophenyl phosphate (p-NPP) in seven different potential phosphoacceptors/buffers. Generally, the phosphoacceptors/buffers with the lowest affinity for p-NPP (highest Km values) gave the highest Vmax values; for the nine enzyme forms in this study, the mean Km and Vmax values were greatest in 2-(ethylamino) (EAE). The two amino-propanol buffers gave the lowest Km and Vmax values. The phosphoacceptors/buffers N-methyl-D-glucamine (MEG), diethanolamine, and Tris had intermediate Km and Vmax values. Hydrophilic liver ALP retained > 90% of its activity after 24 h at 30 degrees C in both 1.0 and 0.3 mol/L Tris and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol and in 0.3 mol/L MEG. This isoenzyme showed greatest inactivation upon prolonged exposure to 1.0 and 0.3 mol/L EAE, the activity at 24 h being approximately 50-66% of that at zero time. p-NPP underwent the greatest spontaneous degradation, approximately 2.5 times that of baseline levels, in 1 mol/L MEG. There was little degradation in all of the buffers tested at 0.3 mol/L or in Tris, EAE, and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol at 1.0 mol/L.