Kinetics of ‘acid’ phosphatase action

Abstract

By means of a continuous titration method adding dilute HCl,the kinetics of the enzymic decomposition of phenyl phosphate by unpurified acid prostate phosphatase at 22[degree] was studied. The effect of substrate concn. and excess of phenol and orthophos-phate was reported. The hydrolysis was followed almost to completion. The pH optimum was determined by measuring the phenol liberated. Two reaction mechanisms were put forward, both of which lead to equations that fit the exptl. data with great accuracy over the whole course of the reaction.