Question

Discuss competitive and non-competitive enzyme inhibitors.

Answer 1

Competitive inhibitors are structural analogs of a substrate molecule and they compete for the same sites on the enzyme molecule that are normally occupied by the substrate. The new complex formed is reversible and inactive with respect to the formation of products.

Non-competitive inhibitors do not possess any structural similarity with the substrate. Hence they do not compete with the substrate for active sites on the enzyme surface, but some other site of the enzyme. Generally, in non-competitive inhibition, the inhibitor reacts either with parts of the enzyme not involved in catalytic activity or with the enzyme-substrate complex.