Formula Used:
From: | To: |
Competitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor molecule competes with the substrate for binding to the active site of an enzyme. This type of inhibition can be overcome by increasing the substrate concentration.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula calculates the concentration of inhibitor required for competitive inhibition based on enzyme kinetics parameters.
Details: Determining the appropriate inhibitor concentration is crucial for studying enzyme kinetics, drug development, and understanding metabolic pathways in biochemical systems.
Tips: Enter all concentration values in mol/m³. Ensure all values are positive and the enzyme-substrate complex concentration is less than or equal to the initial enzyme concentration.
Q1: What is competitive inhibition?
A: Competitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor competes with the substrate for binding to the enzyme's active site, increasing the apparent KM without affecting Vmax.
Q2: How does this formula differ from other inhibition equations?
A: This specific formula calculates inhibitor concentration rather than reaction velocity, making it useful for experimental design where inhibitor concentration needs to be determined.
Q3: What are typical values for Ki?
A: Ki values vary widely depending on the enzyme-inhibitor pair, ranging from nanomolar to millimolar concentrations.
Q4: When is this calculation most useful?
A: This calculation is particularly useful in pharmaceutical research when designing experiments to test potential enzyme inhibitors as drug candidates.
Q5: Are there limitations to this equation?
A: This equation assumes ideal competitive inhibition conditions and may not accurately represent systems with mixed inhibition or allosteric effects.