KINETIC-ANALYSIS OF AN AUTOCATALYTIC PROCESS COUPLED TO A REVERSIBLE INHIBITION - THE INHIBITION OF THE SYSTEM TRYPSINOGEN-TRYPSIN BY P-AMINOBENZAMIDINE

A kinetic analysis of the mechanism of autocatalytic activation in the presence of a reversible inhibitor is presented. The kinetic equation s of both the transient phase and the steady state are derived for thi s mechanism. We have extended the kinetic equations derived to a parti cular case in rapid equilibrium conditions. This analysis is illustrat ed by the experimental study of the inhibition by p-aminobenzamidine o f trypsin activity in its action on trypsinogen. In such system, the a mount of active enzyme increases exponentially, as expected from an au tocatalytic process. The results obtained show that the apparent activ ation rate constant decreases non-linearly with the initial concentrat ion of inhibitor, according to the equations obtained in the kinetic a nalysis.