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Published on: October 2, 2012
Oscillatory reaction of alcohol dehydrogenase in an oil/water system
1College of Arts and Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.
Abstract:
With the use of an oil/water system, oscillatory reactions of an enzyme have been demonstrated. This reaction system has been conceived as an example of the metabolic oscillations of living cells. When a substrate (ethanol) in the oil phase of toluene or chloroform slowly migrated into the aqueous phase containing alcohol dehydrogenase and NAD+, oscillations were observed in the concentration of NADH produced. The gradual entry of substrate into the aqueous phase was essential for the oscillatory reactions to occur. A possible mechanism to account for the appearance of oscillatory reactions of enzymes is proposed, which differs from that presented previously.
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