Question

1. the amino acid asparagine is required by cancer cells to proliferate. treating patients with the enzyme asparaginase is sometimes used as a chemotherapy treatment. asparaginase hydrolyzes asparagine to aspartate and ammonia. the adjoining illustration shows the michaelis - menten curves for two asparaginases from different sources, as well as the concentration of asparagine in the environment (indicated by the arrow). which enzyme would make a better chemotherapeutic agent? 2,3

Explanation:

A better chemotherapeutic asparaginase will efficiently lower environmental asparagine (substrate, [S]) levels even at low substrate concentrations, as cancer cells depend on this amino acid. The Michaelis-Menten curve shows that Asparaginase 2 reaches a lower reaction velocity plateau faster, meaning it depletes asparagine more effectively at the environmental substrate concentration indicated by the arrow.

Answer:

Asparaginase 2