Which of the Following is NOT Required in Order for an Enzyme

Question

Which of the following is NOT required in order for an enzyme to display cooperative kinetics?
A) Multiple subunits.
B) A value for the Michaelis constant, KM.
C) Allosteric sites which affect the binding of substrate to the active site.
D) Ability to display a Vmax.
E) All of these are characteristic of cooperative enzymes.

Accepted Answer

The Michaelis constant (K_M) is a parameter used to describe the relationship between substrate concentration and the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. However, its presence is not a requirement for cooperative kinetics, which refers to the enzyme's ability to display a sigmoidal (S-shaped) curve in its velocity vs. substrate concentration plot (V_max). The other options - multiple subunits, allosteric sites, and the ability to display cooperativity - are all necessary for an enzyme to exhibit cooperative kinetics.