The aims of this practical are to examine the effects of various substances on the activity of glycogen phosphorylase by the principles of allosteric control of the enzyme and reversible phosphorylation. These principles aim to reverse the effect glycogen phosphorylase has on the conversion of glycogen to glucose-1-phosphate, i.e. causing glycogen and glucose-1-phosphate to bind and release a phosphate. The amount of phosphate formed in this experiment is measured by the principles of a spectrometry reading at 660nm. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22354/]] Introduction: Glycogen is used in animals as a form of glucose that can be kept in storage in cells until there is a diminished amount of glucose in the body, which then glycogen …show more content…
Explain why samples 1-3 should all have a high concentration of phosphate, ie high A660 nm values. Comment on any deviation of your results from the expected outcome. Samples one to three should have a high concentration of phosphate as all the tubes contained ATP and Buffer A. Tube one and two contained the kinase, and tube one and three contained phosphorylase A. Phosphorylase kinase activates glycogen phosphorylase [berg] and because the kinase and phosphorylase A, the active phosphorylase, are both present in tube one, tube one is expected to have a high amount of phosphate present as the reversible phosphorylation can occur at a high rate. This is reflected in the actual results as the absorbance reading at 660nm for tube one is 1.237. Tube two also has a high expected and actual absorbance reading as phosphorylase kinase is present in the tube. Tube two absorbance reading at 660nm is 0.5835. However, the reading in tube two is not as high as the other tubes, tube one and three, but that is due to the less active form of phosphorylase, phosphorylase B, being present in the tube. The time taken for phosphorylase kinase to convert phosphorylase B to its active form, phosphorylase A, might have caused the absorbance reading to be lower. [berg] Sample three had a absorbance reading at 660nm at 1.29. This is due to the fact the tube contained the active form of phosphorylase, phosphorylase A, in the sample which helps breakdown glycogen.*****