L21: Enzymes As Tools

Question 1

Abzymes

Answer 1

An attempt to design enzymes to carry out specific reactions, based on following principles:

1. Enzymes catalyse reactions by binding transition state very tightly
2. Antibodies bind antigens very tightly and specifically

Choose/design molecule that is analogous to transition state of reaction that abzyme is designed to catalyse. Raise antibodies to transition state analogue -> resultant antibodies bind actual reaction state tightly -> catalyse reaction

Question 2

Properties of enzymes that make them useful tools

Answer 2

Specificity: most enzymes specific to substrate.

Catalytic power: one molecule of enzyme catalyses formation of many product molecules -> amplification of any signal by which product is detected