SLOWLY REVERTING ENZYME INACTIVATION - A MECHANISM FOR GENERATING LONG-LIVED DAMPED OSCILLATIONS

Single-enzyme systems can undergo weakly damped concentration oscillat ions if the enzyme can be converted to an inactive form which only slo wly reverts to the active form. Inactivation can take many forms, incl uding a simple (hysteretic) conformational change of the enzyme. This observation may provide an explanation for the damped oscillations see n in photosynthetic activity following a sudden disturbance since rubi sco, the enzyme responsible for fixing carbon, is a hysteretic enzyme with appropriate kinetic constants for oscillation. (C) 1998 Academic Press.