Enzymes Types

Introduction

Enzymes refer to proteins that facilitate the speeding up of chemical reactions in our bodies. The various enzyme types play a crucial role in digestion, liver functioning and more. An excess or deficiency of a particular enzyme can lead to various health problems. Healthcare experts can check for injuries and diseases by examining the enzymes in our blood. Speeding up of the metabolism process takes place due to enzymes. These proteins are involved in building some substances and the breaking down of others, and they are found in all living organisms. Let us learn more about them.

Enzymes: Functions

One of the most critical functions of enzymes is to aid digestion. Digestion is the process of turning the food consumed by the body into energy. For example, there are enzymes in the body’s stomach, intestines, pancreas, and saliva. These enzymes facilitate the breaking down of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Enzymes utilise nutrients for cell growth and repair.

Enzymes also assist with the following:

• Ridding the bodies of harmful toxins
• Building up of muscles
• Nerve functioning

Specific Enzyme Types

There are thousands of enzymes in the human body. Below is a brief description of the most important enzymes types:

• Lipases – This refers to a group of enzymes that facilitate the digestion of fats in the gut
• Helicase – Its function is to unravel the DNA
• Amylase – This assists in changing the starches into sugars. Amylase exists in the saliva
• Lactase – They exist in the small intestine and facilitate the breaking down of lactose into glucose and galactose
• Maltase – This enzyme is found in saliva, and it facilitates the breaking down of the sugar maltose into glucose. Maltose exists in various foods like beer, pasta, and potatoes
• Trypsin – They exist in the small intestine and facilitate the breaking down of proteins into amino acids
• Acetylcholinesterase – facilitate the breaking down of neurotransmitter acetylcholine in nerves and muscles
• DNA polymerase – DNA is synthesised by this enzyme from deoxyribonucleotides

Understanding Enzyme Inhibition

An inhibitor refers to a chemical molecule whose binding takes place to an enzyme to slow down or prevent the chemical reaction.

When the binding of an inhibitor takes place to an enzyme, enzyme inhibition is the result. A considerable slowing down of the reaction results due to enzyme inhibition. Sometimes, the reaction can be entirely impeded.

However, inhibitors are crucial for the human body. In the absence of enzyme inhibition, cells would be unable to close reactions or slow them down. For example, cells would continue to produce digestive enzymes even if the required chemicals are no longer present. They may also waste energy by producing molecules in sufficient amounts. This shows the tremendous importance of enzyme inhibition.

There are two main types of enzyme inhibition in existence:

• Irreversible inhibition
• Reversible inhibition

Reversible has four types: mixed, uncompetitive, competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.

Irreversible Inhibition

An irreversible inhibition example facilitates the chemical modification of the enzyme. This usually occurs by forming covalent bonds with the R-groups of particular amino acids.

The interaction of the irreversible inhibition example causes the permanent inactivation of the enzyme. The enzyme’s active site houses the most commonly altered amino acids. However, irreversible inhibition can take place anywhere on the enzyme.

Reversible Inhibition

A reversible Inhibition example facilitates temporary binding to the enzyme. This way, it either causes the blocking of access to or alteration of the shape of the active site.

Types of reversible Inhibition are four: mixed, uncompetitive, competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.

Competitive Inhibition

Competitive inhibitors are substrates that facilitate the binding of substrate sites of enzymes. This causes the competition to take place between inhibitor and substrate to bind to the enzyme. This type of inhibitor can be overcome by increasing the substrate concentration.

Noncompetitive Inhibition

In this inhibition, no competition occurs between substrate and inhibitor because the binding of the inhibitor takes place to enzymes other than the binding site of the substrate. Since there is a difference between the substrate’s binding site and inhibitor to enzyme, there is no impact of the inhibitor on the affinity of enzyme to substrate. In this case, there is no overcoming of the inhibition by increasing substrate concentration.

Uncompetitive Inhibition

The uncompetitive inhibition example occurs in a multi-substrate reaction and is rare in nature. The uncompetitive inhibition example is similar to noncompetitive but facilitates binding to the ES-complex. At first, the binding of the substrate takes place to the enzyme to result in the formation of ES-complex. Afterwards, the binding site for the inhibitor causes the formation of that inhibitor bind at the allosteric site.

Mixed inhibition

This type of inhibition takes place in a multi-substrate reaction. It is a combination of competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.

Conclusion

Enzymes refer to proteins that facilitate increasing the rate of chemical reactions in bodies. The various enzyme types are essential for digestion and liver functioning. These are the most important functions of enzymes. Health problems can come up in the event of excess or deficiency of one of them in the body. There are thousands of enzyme types in the human body, but some are more important than others. There are two main types of enzyme inhibition. These are reversible and irreversible. Reversible inhibition, in turn, involves four types: mixed, uncompetitive, competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.