allosteric

American  

[al-uh-ster-ik, -steer-] / ˌæl əˈstɛr ɪk, -ˈstɪər- /

adjective

Biochemistry.

1. pertaining to regulation of the rate of an enzymatic process.

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allosteric British  

/ ˌæləʊˈstɪərɪk /

adjective

1. biochem of, relating to, or designating a function of an enzyme in which the structure and activity of the enzyme are modified by the binding of a metabolic molecule

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Other Word Forms

• allosterically adverb

Etymology

Origin of allosteric

First recorded in 1960–65; allo- + steric

Example Sentences

They found that only Ancα and Ancβ — when expressed together at high concentrations — show similar oxygen-binding affinity, cooperativity and allosteric regulation to today’s haemoglobin protein.

From Nature

This indicates that the binding of a sugar is coupled to remote conformational changes associated with gating of the transporter, a type of mechanism known as allosteric coupling.

From Nature

However, the most exciting finding is the allosteric coupling between substrate binding and gating — it suggests that substrate recognition in transporters can be a consequence of the transporter’s conformational dynamics, rather than being the result of protein–substrate interactions, which underpin the conventional ‘lock and key’ model of how molecules interact with their biological targets.

From Nature

This explains how molecules can act as positive or negative allosteric modulators, or as antagonists.

From Nature

Therefore, insight into allosteric modulation cannot be gained from structural studies alone, because protein structures are caught in static conformations.

From Nature