A steady state mathematical model for stepwise "slow-binding" reversible enzyme inhibition.

The standard mathematical model for stepwise "slow-binding" enzyme inhibition (E+Iright harpoon over left harpoonEIright harpoon over left harpoonEI( *)) assumes that the initial enzyme-inhibitor complex EI is always at equilibrium with the free component species E and I. This assumption implies that the dissociation rate constant (EI-->E+I) is infinitely higher than the isomerization rate constant for EI-->EI( *). This paper presents a more general mathematical treatment, under the steady state approximation rather than the usual rapid-equilibrium approximation, whereby the two rate constants for the disappearance of EI are allowed to be comparable in magnitude. Experimentally relevant illustrative examples include discrimination between a single-step and a two-step mechanism for slow-binding inhibition kinetics.