pH-rate profiles support a general base mechanism for galactokinase (Lactococcus lactis).

Galactokinase (GALK), a member the Leloir pathway for normal galactose metabolism, catalyzes the conversion of α-d-galactose to galactose-1-phosphate. For this investigation, we studied the kinetic mechanism and pH profiles of the enzyme from Lactococcus lactis. Our results show that the mechanism for its reaction is sequential in both directions.