allosteric site
Quick Summary
An allosteric site is a regulatory site on an enzyme, distinct from the active site where the substrate binds and catalysis occurs. Molecules called allosteric effectors bind to this site, causing a change in the enzyme's shape. This shape change can either activate or inhibit the enzyme's activity. This mechanism, often explained by the induced-fit theory, allows cells to finely regulate metabolic pathways by responding to the presence of specific molecules. For example, a product of a metabolic pathway might bind to an allosteric site on an enzyme earlier in the pathway, inhibiting further production of itself (feedback inhibition).123
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