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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
Published on: January 16, 2016
Quantification of kinetics for enzyme-catalysed reactions: implications for diffusional limitations at the 10 ml
S Matosevic1, M Micheletti, J M Woodley
1The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK.
Abstract:
The effects of different reaction scales [100 microl reactions in 96-standard round well (SRW) plates and 10 ml reactions in 24-square well (SW) plates] have been investigated using, as a model, transketolase (TK)-catalysed reaction producing L-erythrulose. Reactions were carried out under non-shaking, shaking and at 10 ml scale stirring conditions to assess the effect of diffusional limitations. Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of the observed difference in reaction rates under given conditions. Only when the laboratory scale system (10 ml) was well mixed did the reaction rate become comparable to that in the microwells, where there is negligible diffusional limitation. These findings have important implications for the scale-up (or scale-down) of enzyme-catalysed reactions.
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