Development of a computer program for analysis of enzyme kinetics by progress curve fitting

In order to facilitate the study of enzyme kinetics by progress curve analysis, a convenient Windows 95 program was developed. For describing a set of progress curves, the user should select an enzymatic mechanism. This is guided by a menu. Reversible and irreversible reactions up to two substrates and products are supported. The program will automatically use the corresponding rate equation and fit the parameters of that equation at request by numerical integration of the batch differential equations. Degradation of reactants, enzyme inactivation and inhibition phenomena can easily be incorporated if required. ogram was tested for finding a rate equation that would describe a set of nine progress curves that was generated for a hypothetical enzymatic reaction according to an ordered bi–uni mechanism. The mechanistically correct equation fitted the progress curves best and gave good estimates for the five parameters involved. If there was Gaussian noise of 2% standard deviation superimposed on the simulated curves, the correct model still fitted satisfactorily, but it became impossible to discriminate it from some related incorrect models.