Enzyme Structure, classification

and
mechanism of action

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 Importance
• Enzymes play an important role in Metabolism, Diagnosis,
and Therapeutics.

• All biochemical reactions are enzyme catalyzed in the living

organism.

• Level of enzyme in blood are of diagnostic importance e.g. it

is a good indicator in disease such as myocardial infarction.

• Enzyme can be used therapeutically such as digestive

enzymes.
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 Define enzymes
(Enzymes as Biological Catalysts)
• Enzymes are defined as biocatalysts synthesized by living cells.

• Enzymes are proteins that increase the rate of reaction by

lowering the energy of activation

• They catalyze nearly all the chemical reactions taking place in

the cells of the body.

• Not altered or consumed during reaction.

• Reusable

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 ACTIVE SITES

• Enzyme molecules contain a special pocket or

cleft called the active sites.

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 Lock-and-Key Model
• In the lock-and-key model of enzyme action:
- the active site has a rigid shape
- only substrates with the matching shape can fit
- the substrate is a key that fits the lock of the active
site

•This explains enzyme

specificity
•This explains the loss of
activity when enzymes denature

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 APOENZYME and HOLOENZYME

• The enzyme without its non protein moiety is termed

as apoenzyme and it is inactive.
• Holoenzyme is an active enzyme with its non protein
component.

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 Important Terms to Understand Biochemical
Nature
And Activity of Enzymes
• Cofactor:
– A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that
is bound (either tightly or loosely) to an enzyme and
is required for catalysis.

– Types of Cofactors:
• Coenzymes.
• Prosthetic groups.

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 Types of Cofactors
• Coenzyme:
The non-protein component, loosely bound to
apoenzyme by non-covalent bond.
Examples : vitamins or compound derived from
vitamins.
• Prosthetic group
The non-protein component, tightly bound to
the apoenzyme by covalent bonds is called a
Prosthetic group.

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 Enzyme Specificity

• Enzymes have varying degrees of

specificity for substrates

• Enzymes may recognize and catalyze:

- a single substrate
- a group of similar substrates
- a particular type of bond

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12
 Important Terms to Understand Biochemical
Nature
And Activity of Enzymes

Activation energy or Energy of Activation:

• All chemical reactions require some amount of

energy to get them started.
OR
• It is First push to start reaction.

This energy is called activation energy.

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 Mechanism of Action of Enzymes
• Enzymes increase reaction rates by
decreasing the Activation energy.

• Enzyme-Substrate Interactions:
‒ Formation of Enzyme substrate complex by:
‒ Lock-and-Key Model
‒ Induced Fit Model

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Enzymes
Lower a
Reaction’s

Activation
Energy

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 Lock-and-Key Model
• In the lock-and-key model of enzyme action:
- the active site has a rigid shape
- only substrates with the matching shape can fit
- the substrate is a key that fits the lock of the active site
• This is an older model, however, and does not work for all
enzymes

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 Induced Fit Model
• In the induced-fit model of enzyme action:
- the active site is flexible, not rigid
- the shapes of the enzyme, active site, and substrate adjust to
fit, which improves catalysis
- there is a greater range of substrate specificity
• This model is more consistent with a wider range of enzymes

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 Enzyme-substrate complex
• Step 1:
• Enzyme and substrate combine to form
complex
• E + S ES
• Enzyme Substrate Complex

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 Enzyme-product complex
• Step 2:
• An enzyme-product complex is formed.

• ES EP

ES transition EP
state

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 Product
• The enzyme and product separate

• EP E + P
The product
is made
Enzyme is
ready
EP for
another
substrate.

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What Affects Enzyme Activity?

Three factors:
1. Environmental Conditions

2. Cofactors and Coenzymes

3. Enzyme Inhibitors

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 Concentration of Enzyme

• As the concentration of the enzyme is increased, the

velocity of the reaction proportionally increases.

•In fact, this property of the enzyme is made use in

determining the serum enzymes for the diagnosis of
diseases.

•The relative concentration of the serum measured

through its activity is used for the diagnosis of diseases.

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 Environmental Conditions

1. Extreme Temperature are the most dangerous

- high temps may denature (unfold) the enzyme.

2. pH (most like 6 - 8 pH near neutral)

3. substrate concentration .

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 Effect of pH

•Increase in the pH considerably influences the enzyme

activity.

•Each enzyme has an optimum pH at which the velocity is

maximum.

•Below and above this pH, the enzyme activity is much

lower and at extreme pH, the enzyme becomes totally
inactive.

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 Effect of temperature

•Velocity of an enzyme reaction increases with increase in

temperature up to a maximum and then declines.

•Temperature coefficient (Q10) is defined as increase in enzyme

velocity when the temperature is increased by 10 °C.

•Increase in temperature results in higher activation energy of the

molecules and more molecular collision and interaction for the
reaction to proceed faster.

•The optimum temperature for most of the enzymes is between 40-

45°C.
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 Effect of temperature

•In general, when the enzymes are exposed to a temperature above

50°C, denaturation leading to de-arrangement in the native
structure of the protein and active site are seen.

•Majority of the enzymes become inactive at higher temperature

(>70°C)

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 Cofactors and Coenzymes
• Inorganic substances (zinc, iron) and vitamins
(respectively) are sometimes needed for proper
enzymatic activity.
activity

• Example:
Iron must be present in the quaternary
structure - hemoglobin in order for it to pick up
oxygen.

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 Concentration of Substrate

Increase in the substrate concentration

gradually increases the velocity of enzyme
reaction within the limited range of substrate
levels.

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 Two examples of Enzyme Inhibitors

Competitive inhibitors: are chemicals that

resemble an enzyme’s normal substrate and
compete with it for the active site.
site

Substrate
Enzyme
Competitive inhibitor

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 Inhibitors
Noncompetitive inhibitors:
Inhibitors that do not enter the active site,
site but bind
to another part of the enzyme causing the enzyme to
change its shape,
shape which in turn alters the
active site.
site

Substrate Noncompetitive
Enzyme Inhibitor
active site
altered

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 Classification
• Enzymes are considered under two broad
categories
– Intracellular enzymes: They are functional within
cells where they are synthesized.

– Extracellular enzymes: These enzymes are active

outside the cell.

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 Classification
• Oxidoreductases: Enzymes involved in oxidation-reduction
reactions. Eg: dehydrogenase, oxidases.

• Transferases: Enzymes that catalyse the transfer of functional

groups. Eg: Hexokinase, Transminases, phosphorylase.

• Hydrolases: Enzymes that bring about hydrolysis of various

compounds. Eg: Lipase, choline esterase, acid and alkaline
phosphatase, pepsin and urease.

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 Classification
• Lysases: Enzymes specialized in the addition or removal of
water, ammonia, CO2 etc. Eg: Aldolase, fumarase.

• Isomerases: Enzymes involved in all the isomerization

reactions. Eg: Triose phosphate isomerase, phosphohexose
isomerase.

• Ligases: Enzymes catalyzing the synthetic reactions where two

molecules are joined together are ATP is used. Eg: acetyl CoA,
Glutamin synthetase.

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