Is penicillin a competitive inhibitor?

Subject: Is penicillin a competitive inhibitor?

Date: Sun Sep 10 20:10:27 2006
Posted by Jessica
Grade level: 10-12 School: Newbury Park HS
City: Newbury Park State/Province: CA Country: USA
Area of science: Biochemistry
ID: 1157944227.Bc

Message:


I have read that penicillin is an irreversible inhibitor, but also that it is 
a competitive inhibitor. Additional information says that penicillin 
irreversibly bonds to the active site. I am confused because I know that 
competitive inhibition can be overcome by adding more substrate. This would 
not be the case for penicillin since information states that once it bonds to 
the active site it is "stuck" there by the strong bonds (irriversible 
inhibition). Please ehlp!

Re: Is penicillin a competitive inhibitor?

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