Some changes in the reactivity of enzymes resulting from their chemical attachment to water-insoluble derivatives of cellulose.

1. Purified ficin was chemically attached to CM-cellulose, and partially purified ATP-creatine phosphotransferase was chemically attached to both CM-cellulose and p-aminobenzylcellulose. 2. The apparent K(m) with respect to ATP and Mg(2+) of ATP-creatine phosphotransferase was observed to increase about tenfold on attachment of the enzyme to CM-cellulose, and to increase by only 23% on its attachment to p-aminobenzylcellulose. 3. The reactivity of both ficin and ATP-creatine phosphotransferase with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) was observed to decrease on chemical attachment of these enzymes to water-insoluble derivatives of cellulose. With derivatives prepared from CM-cellulose, the extent of the reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) was dependent on ionic strength, but with similar derivatives prepared from p-aminobenzylcellulose the extent of this reaction was independent of ionic strength. 4. The effect of diffusion and electrostatic interaction of charged enzyme substrates and charged enzyme supports on the apparent K(m) of a water-insoluble derivative of an enzyme is discussed. An equation is derived that satisfactorily describes the observed effects of these factors on the apparent K(m).