Adsorption behavior and activity of hexokinase

The study on the adsorption of hexokinase (HK) onto silicon wafers was carried out by means of in situ ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy in the liquid. The thickness values of the adsorbed HK layer determined by both techniques were in excellent agreement and evidenced HK monolayer formation. The adsorption of HK onto Si wafers was favored at low ionic strength, indicating that the adsorption is mainly driven by electrostatic forces, since salt screens not only the segment-segment repulsion but also the segment-surface attraction when the salt concentration increases. The enzymatic activity of free HK and of adsorbed HK was measured as a function of time. Free HK in solution lost activity upon storage. Contrarily, adsorbed HK kept its activity level even after 48 h storage at room temperature. This outstanding behavior was attributed to specific orientation of the HK active site to the solution.