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 equations of both the transient phase and the steady state are derived for this mechanism. We have extended the kinetic equations derived to a particular case in rapid equilibrium conditions. This analysis is illustrated by the experimental study of the inhibition by p-aminobenzamidine of trypsin activity in its action on trypsinogen. In such system, the amount of active enzyme increases exponentially, as expected from an autocatalytic process. The results obtained show that the apparent activation rate constant decreases non-linearly with the initial concentration of inhibitor, according to the equations obtained in the kinetic analysis.