With an allosteric inhibitor (AI), you mentioned that either Vmax or Km can
be changed. Then can I say that the apparent Km will be the average of the
weakened enzyme molecules and those remaining uninhibited, thus the apparent Km
will increase?
From its remote binding site, an AI could affect the shape of the substrate
binding site, thus changing the binding affinity andthe apparent Km. In a
mixture of inhibited and non-inhibited enzyme molecules, I would expect the Vo
vs. S curve to be complex (biphasic?) and not yield an "average" Km.
Is it safe to say that the only difference between non-competitive inhibitors
and allosteric inhibitors is that allosteric inhibitors bind to a remote site
in the enzyme whereas nci bind close to the active site?
A consequence of the fact that allosteric inhibitors biond to a remote site is
that they must distort the protein so as to 'telegraph" their presence to the
active site. In contrast, a non-competitive inhibitor need not do so: it could
bind to the active site pocket, but not to the part of the active s ite that
binds to the substrate.