Mechanism of Non-Competitive Inhibition
The enzyme is gray, the substrate is green, the non-competitive inhibitor is red and the products are yellow (A) and blue (B). The enzyme has two binding sites, one for the substrate (the active site) and the other for the non-competitive inhibitor (the regulatory site). When the non-competitive inhibitor is not bound to the regulatory site, the enzyme can bind substrate at the active site and catalyze the production of product. However, when the non-competitive inhibitor binds to the enzyme at the regulatory site, the shape of the active site changes so that it can no longer bind its substrate or catalyze the production of product. The enzyme will remain inhibited until the non-competitive inhibitor leaves the regulatory site. Click on the animation to see a larger view.