Mechanism of Competitive Inhibition
In this animation, the enzyme is olive, the substrate is green, the competitive inhibitor is red and the products A & B are yellow and blue. The enzyme has binding site into which either the substrate or the competitive inhibitor may fit. Watch the substrate as it binds to the enzyme and is then converted to the two products, A & B. Then watch as the competitive inhibitor binds to active site and prevents the substrate from binding, thus preventing the enzyme catalyzed reaction from occuring. Sometimes the products of an enzymatic reaction can also be competitive inhibitors of the reaction. Which product, A or B, would be most likely to be a competitive inhibitor? Click on the animation to view a larger version.