Answer to Question #165827 in Molecular Biology for Emma

Question

 you could describe the mechanism of drugs such as the statins, which inhibit the function of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase and so reduce the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. You could report the manner in which the inhibitors interact with their enzyme target, if they are allosteric or competitive and what the result of that inhibition is to the cell. (Try to pick an alternative example to statins).

Answer 1

The allosteric inhibitor binds to an enzyme at a site other than the active site. The shape of the active site is altered so that the enzyme can no longer bind to its substrate.

The competitive inhibitor resembles the substrate and binds to the active site of the enzyme. The substrate is thereby prevented from binding to the same active site. A competitive inhibitor diminishes the rate of catalysis by reducing the proportion of enzyme molecules bound to a substrate.