A patient with a serum deficiency has a mutation in the enzyme serum cholinester

Question

A patient with a serum deficiency has a mutation in the enzyme serum cholinesterase that hydrolyzes the substrate succinycholine. This mutation results in a Km of 40 mM for the substrate for the mutant enzyme, as compared to a 2.5 mM for the value of Km in the normally functioning protein. What effect will this mutation have on the reaction involving this substrate in the patient?

a. the substrate will be acted on with less efficiency in the mutant protein relative to the normal protein

b. the substrate will be acted on with greater efficiency in the mutant protein relative to the normal protein

c. the substrate will be acted on with the same efficiency in the mutant enzyme relative to the normal enzyme

d. Not enough information to determine

Explanation / Answer

Km represents Michaelis constant in enzyme kinetics. It refers to the concentration of substrate when enzyme reaches half of maximum reaction velocity,V. Simply put, Km is the amount of substrate required so that half of the enzyme are bound to substrate. Lower the value of Km, greater is enzyme efficiency. At higher Km values,enzyme efficiency decreases. Thus correct option is (a): the substrate will be acted on with less efficiency in mutant than in Normal protein.

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