Processivity

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‘Processivity’ describes how well an enzyme can consecutively catalyse many reactions while still remaining attached to the desired substrate. An enzyme that can be classed as having a high processivity will remain bound to a polymer while catalysing many reactions in an elongation or digestion process [1].

An enzyme that instead releases its substrate after every step is known as a distributive enzyme.

References

  1. Berg J, Tymoczko J and Stryer L. (2007:p798), Biochemistry, sixth edition, New York: WH Freeman amd Company