Question
An investigator is studying the effect of a new drug on an enzyme. The drug triggers a conformational change in the shape of the enzyme, increasing its affinity to a substrate. The kinetics of the enzyme alone are labeled in the graph as “X”. Which of the following curves best represents the drug’s effect on this enzyme:
Show Answer
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Correct Answer � B
Explanation
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Curve B describes the effect of an allosteric activator.
Drugs that allosterically activate an enzyme induce a conformational change that increases the affinity of the enzyme to the substrate (lower Michaelis-Menten constant).
Therefore, the velocity of the reaction is increased and thus the curve is shifted to the left.
However, the maximum velocity (Vmax) of the reaction stays the same.
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