ACTIVE SITE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does active site mean? 

• ACTIVE SITE (noun)
  The noun ACTIVE SITE has 1 sense:

1. the part of an enzyme or antibody where the chemical reaction occurs

  Familiarity information: ACTIVE SITE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACTIVE SITE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The part of an enzyme or antibody where the chemical reaction occurs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("active site" is a kind of...):

site; situation (physical position in relation to the surroundings)

Holonyms ("active site" is a part of...):

enzyme (any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions)

antibody (any of a large variety of proteins normally present in the body or produced in response to an antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response)

 Context examples 

An enzyme that contains an unpaired cysteine in the active site which acts as a nucleophilic thiol to catalyze the proteolytic processing of other proteins or polypeptides.

(Cysteine Proteinase, NCI Thesaurus)

Thus, the compound blocks all 3 molecules from the synthetase’s active site.

(Scientists Discover Antibiotic Mechanism, NIH)

Clavunalate potassium contains a beta-lactam ring and binds strongly to beta-lactamase at or near its active site.

(Clavulanate Potassium, NCI Thesaurus)

Desirudin is a selective and almost irreversible inhibitor of thrombin, both free and clot-bound, by blocking its active site.

(Desirudin, NCI Thesaurus)

Since nucleosome disruption of chromatin is indicative of active sites of DNA transcription, this technique can isolate DNA sequences that are involved in transcriptional regulation.

(FAIRE-Seq, NCI Thesaurus)

Tazobactam, a penicillanic acid sulfone derivative, irreversibly binds to and inhibits bacterial beta-lactamase at or near its active site, thereby preventing the destruction of the beta-lactamase susceptible piperacillin by this bacterial enzyme.

(Piperacillin-tazobactam, NCI Thesaurus)

Indinavir selectively binds to the active site of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease and inhibits its activity, preventing the protease-mediated cleavage of gag-pol viral polyproteins; as a result immature, noninfectious virions are produced.

(Indinavir Sulfate, NCI Thesaurus)

Then amprenavir binds to the active site of HIV-1 protease, thereby preventing the proteolytic cleavage of viral Gag-Pol polypeptide into individual functional proteins, thereby leading to the formation of immature non-infectious viral particles.

(Fosamprenavir Calcium, NCI Thesaurus)

Arginine is a complex amino acid, often found at active sites in proteins and enzymes due to its amine-containing side chain.

(Arginine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

Clavulanic acid contains a beta-lactam ring and binds strongly to beta-lactamase at or near its active site, thereby hindering enzymatic activity.

(Clavulanic Acid, NCI Thesaurus)