Determination of Enzyme Activity by a Linear Measurement

Abstract

THE determination of the activity of proteolytic enzymes usually requires chemical analysis. A substrate, which can be either natural or synthetic, is being hydrolysed by the enzyme under specified conditions, and after a certain time the concentration of either the products or the remaining substrate is determined analytically. These methods are generally rather cumbersome. Furthermore, it is essential to perform the reaction under conditions such that only a small percentage of the substrate is transformed, so that the effect of the products on the reaction-rate should be negligible. This again leads to some analytical difficulties.