What is a potential disadvantage for an enzyme having too high of an affinity for its substrate?

• A. Enzyme catalysis may not occur.
• B. The enzyme would catalyze the reaction but remain covalently & permanently linked to the product.
• C. The ES complex could end up in a large energy trough with a consequentially large E_A to the transition state.
• D. There's no potential disadvantage to strong affinity. The stronger the affinity, the faster/better the catalysis.
• E. a, b and c.
• F. a and c.

Answer: (F)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of enzyme-substrate affinity: Enzymes bind to substrates to form an enzyme-substrate (ES) complex, which is crucial for catalysis. The affinity refers to how tightly an enzyme binds to its substrate.
2. Consider the effect of high affinity: If an enzyme has too high of an affinity for its substrate, it may bind the substrate too tightly, potentially hindering the release of the product after catalysis.
3. Analyze the energy landscape: A high affinity can lead to the ES complex being in a deep energy trough, which means a large activation energy (EA) is required to reach the transition state, slowing down the reaction.
4. Evaluate the potential disadvantages: High affinity can prevent the enzyme from efficiently converting substrate to product, as the ES complex may be too stable, making it difficult to proceed to the transition state.
5. Conclude with the correct options: The potential disadvantages of high affinity are that enzyme catalysis may not occur (option a) and the ES complex could end up in a large energy trough with a large EA to the transition state (option c).