Enzyme Kinetics, Past and Present

The Michaelis-Menten equation, first reported 100 years ago, holds at the single-molecule level. Enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions, speeding up the conversion from substrate to product molecules. One hundred years ago, Leonor Michaelis and Maud Leonora Menten studied the equation characterizing enzymatic rates (1). This landmark development in the quantitative description of enzymes has stood the test of time, and the Michaelis-Menten equation remains the fundamental equation in enzyme kinetics (2). Today, the quest for fundamental understanding of the working of enzymes continues with vigor at the single-molecule level as new experiments and theories emerge.