Active Site - Binding Mechanism

Binding Mechanism

There are two proposed models of how enzymes work: the lock and key model and the induced fit model. The lock and key model assumes that the active site is a perfect fit for a specific substrate and that once the substrate binds to the enzyme no further modification is necessary; this is simplistic. The induced fit model is a development of the lock-and-key model and instead assumes that an active site is more flexible and that the presence of certain residues (amino acids) in the active site will encourage the enzyme to locate the correct substrate, after which conformational changes may occur as the substrate is bound.

Read more about this topic:  Active Site

Famous quotes containing the words binding and/or mechanism:

    Hate traps us by binding us too tightly to our adversary.
    Milan Kundera (b. 1929)

    The law isn’t justice. It’s a very imperfect mechanism. If you press exactly the right buttons and are also lucky, justice may show up in the answer. A mechanism is all the law was ever intended to be.
    Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)