Allosteric Enzyme-Based Biosensors. Kinetic Behaviours of Immobilised L-Lysine-α-Oxidase from Trichoderma viride: pH Influence and Allosteric Properties

The present study describes the kinetics of L-lysine-α-oxidase (LO) from Trichoderma viride immobilised by co-crosslinking onto the surface of a Pt electrode. The resulting amperometric biosensor was able to analyse L-lysine, thus permitting a simple but thorough study of the kinetics of the immobilised enzyme. The kinetic study evidenced that LO behaves in an allosteric fashion and that cooperativity is strongly pH-dependent. Not less important, experimental evidence shows that cooperativity is also dependent on substrate concentration at high pH and behaves as predicted by the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model for allosteric enzymes. According to this model, the existence of two different conformational states of the enzyme was postulated, which differ in Lys species landing on LO to form the enzyme-substrate complex. Considerations about the influence of the peculiar LO kinetics on biosensor operations and extracorporeal reactor devices will be discussed as well. Not less important, the present study also shows the effectiveness of using immobilised enzymes and amperometric biosensors not only for substrate analysis, but also as a convenient tool for enzyme kinetic studies.