ENZYME INHIBITION AND

TOXICITY

DR. OJEWUMI M.E

INTRODUCTION

Enzyme is a protein molecule acting as catalyst in enzyme reaction

Enzymes are catalyst but catalyst produced from living organisms
Like Catalyst, the primary objective of an enzyme is to speed up reaction rates
We have just seen from the previous presentation in enzyme kinetics

E + S --- ES
ES E + P
But in Enzyme inhibition another molecule is involved.
ENZYME INHIBITION

Enzyme inhibition is a biochemical process

whereby a molecule bond to an enzyme in the
presence of a substrate in enzyme catalysis of
a chemical reaction to slow down reaction
rate.
However an enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that
binds to an enzyme and decreases its catalysis
effect on a substrate.
Types of Inhibition

Inhibitor binding can either be REVERSIBLE

or IRREVERSIBLE.
Irreversible Inhibition

Thistype of inhibitor bonding is irreversible

due the covalent bond between the
inhibitor and enzyme this however forms a
new chemical compound.
Reversible Inhibitors

Unlike the substrates and irreversible inhibitors

that change chemically after bonding due to
their covalent chemical bonds, reversible
inhibitors do not bond chemically with but
physically and consequently do not change
chemically with enzymes and can easily be
removed by dialysis and dilution.
Types of Reversible Inhibitors

Competitive Inhibitors

Non-competitive Inhibitors
 Competitive inhibition

In competitive inhibition, the inhibitor competes with the substrates for the
active site on the enzyme
However, increasing the concentration of the substrate will increase the effect
of the inhibitor consequently increasing reaction rate.
 Non-competitive inhibitor

A non-competitive inhibitor is unlike the competitive inhibitor, in this case the enzyme can
bind to either free enzyme or the enzyme-substrate complex and likewise, the substrate can
bind to the free enzyme or the enzyme-inhibitor complex.
It inhibits catalysis by preventing substrates from forming enzyme-product complex
Uncompetitive Inhibition

In this case the inhibitor binds only to the Enzyme

substrate complex and prevents conversion to product.
Toxicity

If the enzyme has been rendered inactive by binding, then this is a case of
toxicity not inhibition
If there is just inhibition after the inhibitor is removed the enzyme will
function fine. If the inhibitor is toxic then removing it will not result in the
enzyme functioning.
Applications of Enzyme inhibition

Chemotherapy
Metabolic Control
Pesticides
Natural Poisons