lock-and-key mechanism
lock-and-key mechanism A mechanism proposed in 1890 by Emil Fischer (1852–1919) to explain binding between the active site of an enzyme and a substrate molecule. The active site was thought to have a fixed structure (the lock), which exactly matched the structure of a specific substrate (the key). Thus the enzyme and substrate interact to form an enzyme–substrate complex. The substrate is converted to products that no longer fit the active site and are therefore released, liberating the enzyme. Observations made by X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the active site of an enzyme is more flexible than the lock-and-key theory would suggest. Compare induced-fit model.
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