Numerical analysis of coupled systems of ODEs and applications to enzymatic competitive inhibition by product

Abstract

Enzymatic inhibition is one of the key regulatory mechanisms in cellular metabolism, especially the enzymatic competitive inhibition by product. This inhibition process helps the cell regulate enzymatic activities. In this paper, we derive a mathematical model describing the enzymatic competitive inhibition by product. The model consists of a coupled system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the species of interest. Using nondimensionalization analysis, a formula for product formation rate for this mechanism is obtained in a transparent manner. Further analysis for this formula yields qualitative insights into the maximal reaction velocity and apparent Michaelis-Menten constant. Integrating the model numerically, the effects of the model parameters on the model output are also investigated. Finally, a potential application of the model to realistic enzymes is briefly discussed.