For the enzymatic reaction what is the effect of a substance with the same spatial conformation as an enzymatic substrate? How is this type of substance known?
Substances that “simulate” substrates can bind to the activation center of enzymes thus blocking the true substrates to bind to these enzymes and paralyzing the enzymatic reaction. Such “fake substrates” are called enzyme inhibitors. The binding of enzyme inhibitors to enzymes can be reversible or irreversible. Many medical drugs, for example, some antibiotics, antivirals, antineoplastics, antihypertensives and even sildenafil (trade name Viagra), are enzyme inhibitors that block enzyme activity.
