Question

When an enzymatic activity is purified from a complex mixture of proteins what usually happens to the total amount of protein and the specific activity during the purification process?

Answer 1

In enzyme purification, the total protein content decreases while the specific activity increases, reflecting a more concentrated and purified enzyme presence.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the purification process of an enzyme from a complex mixture of proteins, two main changes are typically observed: the total amount of protein decreases while the specific activity of the enzyme increases. The total protein decrease is due to the removal of non-target proteins and other impurities, which are separated from the enzyme of interest. In contrast, specific activity, which is a measure of the enzyme's catalytic activity per amount of protein, increases because the enzyme becomes more concentrated and purified in the mixture, leading to a higher rate of reaction for a given amount of enzyme protein.