Enzymes and Inhibition by Specific Chemical Agents
Two major types of enzyme inhibitors
- Irreversible: those which combine with or destroy a functional group on the enzyme molecule that is necessary for its catalytic activity
Di-isopropylfluorophosphate (DFP)
- Reversible Inhibitors: characterized by a rapid dissociation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex (2 kinds)
- Competitive inhibitor: enzyme can bind substrate or inhibitor but not both
- Noncompetitive inhibition: inhibitor & substrate can bind simultaneously to enzyme