6.3 Mechanisms of Enzyme Inhibition

These flashcards cover key concepts related to enzyme inhibition mechanisms, including types of inhibitors and their roles in biochemistry.

Enzyme Inhibitors

Substances that decrease enzyme activity, important in drug design and mechanistic studies.

Noncompetitive Inhibitor

An inhibitor that binds to an enzyme regardless of whether the substrate is bound, reducing enzyme activity.

Malonate

A reversible competitive inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase.

Competitive Inhibition

A type of reversible inhibition where the inhibitor competes with the substrate for the active site.

Uncompetitive Inhibitors

Inhibitors that bind to the enzyme-substrate complex, decreasing both Km and vmax.

Mixed Inhibitors

Inhibitors that bind to both the free enzyme and the enzyme-substrate complex, affecting vmax and Km differently.

Irreversible Inhibitors

Inhibitors that form covalent bonds with enzymes, permanently blocking activity.

Suicide Inhibitor

A type of irreversible inhibitor that requires metabolic activation before it can inhibit the enzyme.

DFMO

A fluorinated ornithine analog that acts as a suicide inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase.

Covalent Bond

A type of chemical bond where atoms share pairs of electrons; often formed by irreversible inhibitors with enzyme residues.