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Multiple Choice
A noncompetitive inhibitor decreases the rate of an enzymatic reaction by:
A
increasing the enzyme's affinity for the substrate
B
binding irreversibly to the substrate, preventing its conversion to product
C
competing with the substrate for the active site, thereby increasing the $K_m$
D
binding to an allosteric site and reducing the maximum velocity ($V_{max}$) of the enzyme
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of noncompetitive inhibition. Noncompetitive inhibitors bind to an allosteric site on the enzyme, which is a site other than the active site. This binding changes the enzyme's conformation, reducing its ability to catalyze the reaction effectively.
Step 2: Recognize that noncompetitive inhibitors do not compete with the substrate for the active site. Instead, they affect the enzyme's overall functionality, which impacts the reaction rate.
Step 3: Recall that noncompetitive inhibition decreases the maximum velocity ($V_{max}$) of the enzymatic reaction. This is because the enzyme's ability to convert substrate to product is reduced, regardless of the substrate concentration.
Step 4: Note that the Michaelis constant ($K_m$), which reflects the enzyme's affinity for the substrate, remains unchanged in noncompetitive inhibition. This is because the inhibitor does not interfere with substrate binding at the active site.
Step 5: Summarize the key effect: noncompetitive inhibitors bind to an allosteric site, altering the enzyme's structure and reducing its catalytic efficiency, which lowers the $V_{max}$ without affecting the $K_m$.