Enzymes and Inhibitors

Enzymes are essential proteins catalyzing a myriad of cellular reactions. As biological catalysts, enzymes accelerate chemical reactions converting substrates into certain products by lowering the required activation energy. Typically, enzymes are highly specific which is ensured by binding pockets with complementary structure, charge and hydrophilic or hydrophobic characteristics to the substrates. Furthermore, activity of enzymes is sensitive to high temperatures, pH, and heavy metal ions. Since enzymes belong to the daily needs in academic research and industry, trenzyme provides a variety of widely used enzymes with high purity and is continuously broadening the range of products.

Many molecules are able to decrease or completely inactivate the catalytic activity of enzymes and thus, are referred to as enzyme inhibitors. Inhibitors can bind covalently or non-covalently to their target enzyme and the interaction may be specific or non-specific. Moreover, enzyme inhibition is either reversible or irreversible. There are three major types of enzyme inhibition depending on its kinetics, namely competitive, non-competitive and uncompetitive inhibition. Enzyme inhibitors are useful molecules applied in metabolic control as well as in the treatment of various diseases.