Enzyme Inhibitors
Inhibitors are chemicals that attach to an enzyme and destroy its shape. The enzyme is said to be denatured (unfolded). The enzyme activity is decreased through the action of inhibitors. The binding of an inhibitor stops the substrate from interacting with the enzymes active site and/or hindering the enzyme from catalising its reaction. When an inhibition binds to an enzyme, an Enzyme-Inhibitor complex is formed.
Many drugs act as enzyme inhibitors. Therefore these inhibitors are of benefit to humans. For example, Enzyme inhibitors are often used in cancer therapeutics. Folic acid is a substrate of dihydrofolate reductase. This is an enzyme involved in making nucleotides. It is potently inhibited by methotrexate. Methotrexate blocks the action of dihydrofolate reductase and thereby halts the production of nucleotides. This block of nucleotide biosynthesis is more toxic to rapidly growing cells. Therefore methotrexate is used as a chemotherapeutic agent blocking the rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Another form of enzyme inhibition is seen in the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to inhibit the survival of pathogens. For example, bacteria is surrounded by a thick cell wall. The components that make up the cell wall are peptidoglycans. Many antibiotics, such as penicillin, inhibit the enzymes that produce peptidoglycan.

	Created by jill.examtime over 10 years ago

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General Introduction to Enzymes

Enzymes