substrate

Biology

(noun)

A reactant in a chemical reaction is called a substrate when acted upon by an enzyme.

Related Terms

  • active site
  • induced fit
Chemistry

(noun)

The compound or material which is to be acted upon.

Related Terms

  • active site
  • hydrogenation
  • enzyme

(noun)

The reactant(s) involved in a biochemical reaction catalyzed by an enzyme.

Related Terms

  • active site
  • hydrogenation
  • enzyme
Microbiology

(noun)

a surface on which an organism grows or to which it is attached

Related Terms

  • electron acceptor
  • fermentation
  • oxidative phosphorylation

Examples of substrate in the following topics:

  • Enzyme Active Site and Substrate Specificity

    • Enzymes bind with chemical reactants called substrates.
    • In others, two substrates may come together to create one larger molecule.
    • The enzyme's active site binds to the substrate.
    • A specific chemical substrate matches this site like a jigsaw puzzle piece and makes the enzyme specific to its substrate.
    • When an enzyme binds its substrate, it forms an enzyme-substrate complex.
  • Substrates for Biosynthesis

    • Major metabolic pathways require substrates to be acted upon for the formation of larger, more complex products.
    • The major metabolic pathways require substrates to be acted upon for the formation of larger, more complex products.
    • These precursors are used as substrates for the biogenesis of large complex products.
    • This process is characterized by the production of various intermediates and molecules that function as substrates in additional pathways .
    • This pathway, comprised of a series of reactions, produces many intermediates and molecules utilized as substrates for biosynthesis in additional pathways.
  • Enzyme Catalysis

    • They do this by binding the reactant(s), known as the substrate(s), to an active site within the enzyme.
    • At the active site, the substrate(s) can form an activated complex at lower energy.
    • This model proposes that the binding of the reactant, or substrate, to the enzyme active site results in a conformational change to the enzyme.
    • Electrostatic catalysis: electrostatic attractions between the enzyme and the substrate can stabilize the activated complex.
    • An enzyme catalyzes a biochemical reaction by binding a substrate at the active site.
  • Overview of Reducing Agents

    • Note that Lithium Aluminum Hydride (LiAlH4) is the strongest reducing agent listed, and it reduces all the substrates.
    • In a similar sense, acyl chlorides are the most reactive substrate.
  • Hydrogenation

    • Hydrogenation reactions, which involve the addition of hydrogen to substrates, have many important applications.
    • Hydrogenation reactions generally require three components: the substrate, the hydrogen source, and a catalyst.
    • The reaction is carried out at varying temperatures and pressures depending on the catalyst and substrate used.
    • Homogeneous catalysts are soluble in the solvent that contains the unsaturated substrate.
    • The metal binds the substrate and then transfers one of the hydrogen atoms from the metal to the substrate via migratory insertion.
  • Control of Metabolism Through Enzyme Regulation

    • In competitive inhibition, an inhibitor molecule is similar enough to a substrate that it can bind to the enzyme's active site to stop it from binding to the substrate.
    • It "competes" with the substrate to bind to the enzyme.
    • Their binding induces a conformational change that reduces the affinity of the enzyme's active site for its substrate. 
    • Allosteric inhibitors modify the active site of the enzyme so that substrate binding is reduced or prevented.
    • In contrast, allosteric activators modify the active site of the enzyme so that the affinity for the substrate increases.
  • Types and Functions of Proteins

    • Because form determines function, each enzyme is specific to its substrates.
    • The substrates are the reactants that undergo the chemical reaction catalyzed by the enzyme.
    • When the substrate binds to its active site at the enzyme, the enzyme may help in its breakdown, rearrangement, or synthesis .
    • Anabolic enzymes: enzymes that build more complex molecules from their substrates
    • A catabolic enzyme reaction showing the substrate matching the exact shape of the active site.
  • Reactions of Coordination Compounds

    • Complexes that have unfilled or half-filled orbitals often show the capability to react with substrates.
    • Most substrates have a singlet ground-state; that is, they have lone electron pairs (e.g., water, amines, ethers).
    • These substrates need an empty orbital to be able to react with a metal center.
    • Some substrates (e.g., molecular oxygen) have a triplet ground state.
    • Metals with half-filled orbitals have a tendency to react with such substrates.
  • Fermentation Without Substrate-Level Phosphorylation

    • Sugars are the most common substrate of fermentation, and typical examples of fermentation products are ethanol, lactic acid, lactose, and hydrogen.
  • ABC Transporters

    • ABC transporters are transmembrane proteins that utilize the energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis to carry out certain biological processes including translocation of various substrates across membranes and non-transport-related processes such as translation of RNA and DNA repair.
    • They transport a wide variety of substrates across extra- and intracellular membranes, including metabolic products, lipids and sterols, and drugs.
    • The substrates that can be transported include ions, amino acids, peptides, sugars, and other molecules that are mostly hydrophilic.
    • The membrane-spanning region of the ABC transporter protects hydrophilic substrates from the lipids of the membrane bilayer thus providing a pathway across the cell membrane .
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