allosteric site

views updated

allosteric site A binding site on the surface of an enzyme other than the active site. In noncompetitive inhibition, binding of the inhibitor to an allosteric site inhibits the activity of the enzyme. In an allosteric enzyme, the binding of a regulatory molecule to the allosteric site changes the overall shape of the enzyme, either enabling the substrate to bind to the active site or preventing the binding of the substrate.

More From encyclopedia.com