Enzymes:

Enzymes are very efficient catalysts for biochemical reactions.

They speed up reactions by providing an alternative reaction
pathway of lower activation energy.
 Chemical reactions of life
Processes of life
building molecules
synthesis +
breaking down molecules
digestion +
 Nothing works without enzymes!
How important are enzymes?
all chemical reactions in living organisms
require enzymes to work
enzyme
building molecules
synthesis enzymes +

breaking down molecules enzyme

digestive enzymes
We cant live +
without enzymes!

enzymes speed up reactions

catalysts
 Enzymes
A protein catalyst
Enzymes are important
proteins found in living
things. An enzyme is a
protein that changes the
rate of a chemical reaction.

They speed metabolic

reactions.
Enzymes
Lower a
Reactions
Activation
Energy
 Enzymes are proteins
Each enzyme is the specific helper to
a specific reaction
each enzyme needs to be the right shape for the
job
enzymes are named for the reaction
they help
sucrase breaks down sucrose
proteases breakdown proteins
They end lipases breakdown lipids
in -ase
DNA polymerase builds DNA
 Enzymes arent used up
Enzymes are not changed by the reaction
used only temporarily
re-used again for the same reaction with other
molecules
very little enzyme needed to help in many
reactions

substrate product

active site enzyme

 Lock-and-Key Model
In the lock-and-key model of enzyme action:
- the active site has a rigid shape
- only substrates with the matching shape can fit
- the substrate is a key that fits the lock of the
active site

This explains enzyme

specificity
This explains the loss
of activity when
enzymes denature
 2

3
 Enzyme vocabulary
Substrate
molecule that enzymes work on
Products
what the enzyme helps produce from the
reaction
Active site
part of enzyme
that substrate
molecule fits into
 ACTIVE SITES

Enzyme molecules contain a special pocket or

cleft called the active sites.
 Order of amino acids
Wrong order = wrong shape = cant do its job!
folded
chain of protein
amino acids

DNA right shape!

folded
protein
chain of
amino acids

wrong shape!
DNA
Factors affecting enzyme activity
 Temperature
Effect on rates of enzyme activity
Optimum temperature
greatest number of collisions between enzyme
& substrate
human enzymes
35- 40C (body temp = 37C)
Raise temperature (boiling)
denature protein = unfold = lose shape
Lower temperature T
molecules move slower
 Temperature
human
enzymes
reaction rate

37
temperature
 pH
Effect on rates of enzyme activity
changes in pH changes protein shape~ Denatures
most human enzymes = pH 6-8
depends on where in body
pepsin (stomach) = pH 3
trypsin (small intestines) = pH 8
 pH
stomach intestines
pepsin trypsin
reaction rate

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
pH

Different pH range for different enzymes

 Clinical importance of enzymes
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) : lt is elevated in certain bone and
liver diseases
Creatine kinase is elevated in myocardial infarction
Acid phosphatase (ACP) : lt is increased in the cancer of prostate
gland
Alanine transaminase elevated in acute hepatitis
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH): LDH is useful for the diagnosis of
myocardial infarction, infective hepatitis, leukemia
 Isoenzymes
The multiple forms of an enzyme catalysing the same reaction are
isoenzymes or isozymes. They, however, differ in their physical and
chemical properties

Eg. Lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) catalyses the interconversion of lactate

and pyruvate.
It has five distinct isoenzymes LDH1, LDH2, LDH3, LDH4 and LDH5
isoenzymes of LDH have immense value in the diagnosis of heart and Iiver
related disorders. In healthy individuals, the activity of LDH2 is higher than
that of LDH1 in serum. In the case of myocardial infarction, LDH1 is much
greater than LDH2 and this happens within 12 to 24 hours after infarction.
Increased activity of LDH5 in serum is an indicator of liver diseases
 Isoenzymes of Alcohol dehydrogenase
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) has two heterodimer isoenzymes.
Among the white Americans and Europeans, 1 isoenzyme is predominant
whereas in Japanese and Chinese 2 is mostly present.
the isomer 2 more rapidly converts alcohol to acetaldehyde. Accumulation of
acetaldehvde is associated with tachycardia (increase in heart rate) and facial
flushing among Japanese and Chinese which is not commonlv seen in whites.
lt is believed that Japanese and Chinese have increased sensitivity to alcohol due
to the presence of 2-isoenzyme of ADH.