Enzymes (page 348)

 Biological catalysts
o Reactants = substrates
 Substrate binds to enzyme and converted into product
 Many enzymes will bind only one group of substrate molecules. Very specific.
 Binding takes place on active site of enzyme
o Site is shaped to fit specific substrate
 Enzymes change shape as they bind with substrate for tighter fit
o Induced fit
 Creates enzyme-substrate complex
 Catalysis: lowering of activation energy
 Substrate converted to product at active site, product released
o Active site opens and allows more substrate to bind
 A single molecule of urease can catalyze the reaction between urea and water at 10,000 rxns per
second
 All known enzymes were proteins until recently

Cofactors

 Some enzymes require a particular ion or small molecule to function

o Organic cofactors are called coenzymes
 Not used up or converted into product
 Many vitamins are actually coenzymes

Enzymes and Chemistry

 Lower activation energy and increase rxn rate

o Do not affect energy requirements of rxn
 If products are at a higher energy level than reactants, they still require a source of energy to power
rxn
 If shape of enzyme changed, potential to change chemical characteristics
o Increasing temperature increases reaction rate, but at very high temperatures enzyme is
denatured and becomes less efficient
o PH also affects structure of proteins and substrate
 Diff enzymes work better at diff PHs

Enzyme Regulation

 Molecules similar in shape to substrate may bind to active site and prevent enzyme from making
contact with substrate: enzyme is inhibited
o These molecules are called competitive inhibitors
 Some inhibitors bind outside the active site
 o Noncompetitive inhibitors
o Change shape of enzyme/change the conformation

Allosteric Effects and Feedback Pathways

 Any molecule that binds to enzyme outside of active site and affects activity = allosteric
 Allosteric activators bind outside active site but increase enzyme’s rxn rate
 Production can be governed by feedback inhibition
o Level of product kept constant by feedback system: end product inhibits activity of first
enzyme by binding to allosteric site
 When level of end product high: enzymes shut off. When low, enzyme stars