Letter 7403

Biology of Copper Sulfate

It doesnt seem to me that the effect of Copper sulphate on the activity of Catalase is that difficult to digest. Bearing in mind that Copper Sulphate is a non-active site directed inhibitor, which effects Catalase.

It attaches itself onto a part of Catalase (NOT it's active site), and alters the shape of the enzyme and therefore after a certain point does not only inhibit the effect of Catalse but has the potential to stop it's activity altogether.

The effect of Copper sulphate on catalase increases as you increase the concentration of copper sulphate whilst keepng a constant concentration of catalse and the substrate you are using (most probably hydrogen Peroxide).

As you increase the number of copper sulphate molecules, there are more copper sulphate molecules in comparison to catalase. Use this analogy to help remember:

there are 100 guys (catalase), and a x number of girls (copper sulphate). If there are only 50 girls then 50 guys are still busy, whereas if there are 100 girls and 100 guys, they are all busy!

Hursh Joshi
- London, Forest-Gate, England

What specific enzyme utilizes copper, iron, manganese and bromide?

Victoria Corazon Jordan
- Cebu City, Phillippnes

Hursh... Do you do AS Biology? - Just a thought.

CUSO4

Copper (II) Sulphate is a metal ion. Some more well known heavy metal ions are mercury (Hg+), silver (Ag+) and arsenic (As+). Another ion is the extremely toxic substance cyanide (CN-).

All these substances are enzyme inhibitors and they permanently damage enzymes. Copper (II) Sulphate is non-competitive and therefore they are non active site directed (the inhibitor does not function on the active site.

CUSO4 ions attach away from the active site but still distorts the overall shape of the enzyme thus inhibiting the corresponding substrate.

Copper (II) Sulphate inhibits enzymes by irreversibly altering the tertiary molecular structure of a protein (all enzymes are proteins!) by breaking its disulphide bonds.


@_@! Hope that helped some.

PS: Does Enzyme concentration have any effect on CUSO4? Does CUSO4 ultimately denature the enzyme?

Arthur Tin Yui LAM
- London, Clayhall, England

The enzyme concentration won't have any effect unless the ratio is greater for the enzyme. Because if it's true what you sad that it is incompetitive, then it doesn't have to compete for a place to attach, so it simply and calmly attaches to the enzyme...

Sa as long as the experimental yield isn't considered, NO enzyme concentration doesn't matter...

(I'm answering, hoping someone can correct me if I'm wrong because I'm simply a biology student...

Jonas Wesam Zineldin
- Uppsala, Sweden

Hi
I have just carried out my AS investigation into the effect of changing the concentration of the inhibitor Copper Sulphate, on the enzyme catalase, in the decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide. I predicted that the larger the concentration of copper sulphate, the less oxygen would be produced, therefore the rate of reaction would be slower. HOWEVER, after spending hours trying various different methods, my results were fairly inconclusive, as apart from the negative control, the ones with more copper sulphate produced more oxygen! In the first minute, each of the different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5M) all produced 0.5cm3. Does anyone have any idea why it would do this? Does the copper sulphate wash off after a minute? Should i have left the potato in the inhibitor for longer than 2 minutes? I am so confused! Please reply

Helen Williams
- London, Middlesex, England

just starting my cw on the effects of copper sulphate on amylase. struggling to find scientific knowledge to back up my hypothesis, any ideas?

I no it is an inhibitor but am reading lots of confliciting info about whether it is competitive/ non-competitive or reversible/irreversible, my understanding is that it is a non-competitive reversible but not 100% sure about this.

Any help offered would be greatly appreciated

Tom P
- London, England

I have been looking into the effects of copper sulphate on catalase. I am now in the process of planning my experiment, however i am unable to work out the specific volumes or concentrations of copper sulphtae and potat pulp (catalase) to use.

William Gaille
- London, England

Does anybody know of any websites for any information on this subject? I am now doing coursework on it for A-level and I need a 'reliable' evidence source, any website names someone could give?
Thanks

Simon James Fairbank
- Leiston, Suffolk, England

HI, im an Alevel biology student preparing to study the various parameters that affect the kinetics of alpha-amylase catalyzed hydrolysis of starch. i will be testing varying concentrations of the enzyme amylase to catalyze the hyrdolosis of starch.
Amylase should break down the polymer to smaller sugers and eventually convert them to the individual basic glucose units.

If anyone has any prior experience of planning this practical or knows of a reliable information source id be extremely grateful. i know in my head what to do and what to expect but my teacher insists i plan it out properly to the exams board requirements.. anyone know of any tips?

Kate Baker
- Bromley, London

I'm writing up my AS biology coursework, investigating the effect of Copper (II) Sulphate solution on the inhibition of amylase. Thanks to everyone who has posted information relating directly to this subject or just to Copper (II) sulphate. It has been very useful. (Don't worry i will refernce you!)

Thanks

Coralie Wright
- Oxford, UK

I've just finished my potato/catalase experiment and found that the following volumes/concentrations worked:

10cm² Copper Sulphate
5g Potato (blended)
5cm² Hydrogen Peroxide

I used 2%, 1%, 0.75%, 0.5%, 0.25% and 0.1% concentrations of Copper Sulphate and did one with water as my control.

Hope this helps!

Josie van Kralingen
- London, UK

I've been doing AS coursework on the effect of copper sulphate on rennin in the coagulation of milk. I found that instead of inhibiting the enzyme, rennin, it speeds the reaction up. This is because copper is a heavy metal so inhibits proteins, and milk consists of mainly protein so the milk forms a precipitate and clots. Rennin is also inhibited but is not required to coagulate the milk so does not affect the rate of the reaction.

Ian Newham
Student - London, England

Hey, Louise N's message was posted a while back (+++++) and is very relevant to my coursework write up, however I could not find a response to this post, could anyone help please, many thanks!! Are Louise's theories correct? They seem very likely?

Alice W.
- Reading, Berkshire, England

Copper sulphate inhibits the germination of mustard seeds - but what effect, if any does sulphate alone have?
I have found many references to show the effect of copper but was wondering if anyone knew if sulphate would effect results and in what way.
Does it in fact have any role other than to allow solubility of copper?

Lauren Tuitt
- Welwyn, Garden City, UK

How does copper sulphate amylase; as in what effects does it have on the structure?

Josh Jackson
- Nantwich, Cheshire, England

Hi i just want to say thankyou to all of you because you have helped me so much, you have enabled me to fully understand my coursework so that I am able to give an adequate answer to the question, I am very grateful, and just want to say thankyou again to all of you!

Sukhi Sanghera
- Wolverhampton

I am a AS-level student of biology. If you are looking for a known inhibitor of catalase, I would suggest silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution. This is a non-competitive, non-reversible inhibition, as the silver (1+) ions react with the sulphydryl (-SH) groups of catalase, hence rendering catalase unable to catalyse the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. I would further suggest you to begin with 1.0M silver nitrate solution for a wide range of results.

Charles Brown
- London, UK

Dear Readers,

I am a teacher in a very small school in apoor country, tryin to teach my students enzyme inhibition. I am looking for a procedure to show the effect of lead nitrate on alpha amylase activity. If you have a simple procedure to show this, I would appreciate it very much.

Suju Joseph
teacher - Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India

The explanation about iron given above seems to describe a non-competitive enzyme action despite the first sentence. a competitive enzyme somehow blocks the active site with a molecule of similar structure to the intended substrate. The action described on the heam group is a non-competitive action which actually changes the structure of the protein.

Kabir
Bsix - London

Hi I am trying to comlete my coursework on the effect of copper sulphate to amylase and starch. I found in my practical that the copper sulphate acted as a catylist and am baffled by this as it is meant to be an inhibitor. I used 0.1M copper sulphate and did it for temps 0degrees to 70. Why did i get these results?

Danielle T.
- Accrington, Lancashure, U.K.

Hi I've been using the non competitive inhibitor copper sulphate on the enzyme trypsin- does this still have the same effect on the enzyme as catalase/amylase and attach by disulphide bonds or ionic bonds as I've been told???

Laura G.
Student - Durham, UK

Hi, I think this is right, Copper sulphate is a non competitive inhibitor. The copper sulphate attaches itself on to the catalase (away from the active site) distorting the enzymes shape therefore preventing the hydrogen peroxide being able to "lock" into the active site as it doesnt fit anymore. Hope it helps x

Emily Thorpe
- Leeds

To Louise N, Milton Keynes,

I am guessing the copper would go in place of the iron because the iron would actually displace the copper from the sulphate group, not the other way around. This would also, I am guessing, take away the catalytic effect that sulphate groups produce.

Just an idea =\

Declan H
- London, England

ok I'm doing as biology c/w and im using fruit to get the catalase enzyme from, however I have no idea how to extract the catalase from the fruit or even if that's what I'm supposed to be doing?? any advice would be much appreciated

Carmen D.
- Redbridge, London, UK

Hey

Another AS biology student... thanks so much to everyone who has already contributed. I just wanted to check if this is alright:
Copper sulphate acts as an inhibitor of catalase because the copper 2+ ions that are released when copper sulphate is in solution displaces the iron haem group which helps to catalase the overall reaction.

Emily R.
- Kent, England

im doing AS Biology at the mo, and my coursework is "the effect of copper sulphate on the enzyme amylase". and(after a week of conducting the experiment with the WRONG enzyme!!)im a lil bit confused. this is gonna seem like a really thick question, but what actually is amylase? i know its an enyme with a tertiary structure of amino acids and all that, but i was reading through what everyone else has said, and there was something about calcium ?! what does copper sulphate do/bind to/deactivate/bugger up in the amylase to perminantly inhibit it?
Im sure this is a stupid question, but please could someone intelligent explain it to me!

cheers! XD

Kelly Burns
- lodon, England

Hey, thanks for all those comments they have helped me in my AS human bio cwk, however, could anyone explain a little better the part about how copper displaces iron ions in the enzyme catalase, my teacher said i needed to research this and i cant find ANYTHING!
Cheers.

Anna South
- UK

Hi,pls can calcium inhibits amylase?if it can,how does it inhibits amylase and is it a copetitive or non competitive inhibition?

INABOYA STANLEY
STUDENT - BENIN, EDO, NIGERIA

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