Artificial enzyme
Open-knowledge reference entry
An artificial enzyme, also known as a synthetic enzyme or a synzyme, is a synthetic organic molecule or ion that recreates one or more functions of a natural enzyme. These molecules aim to achieve catalysis with rates and selectivity comparable to those of naturally occurring enzymes. A nanozyme is a sub-type of artificial enzyme which however is classified into the group of nanomaterials.
Current synzymes consist mainly of organic molecules tailored in such a way that they catalyse certain kinds of reactions. Like enzymes, they bind a transition state of a substrate in an active site, and like enzymes they generally obey Michaelis–Menten kinetics.
History
Natural enzymes catalyze chemical reactions with high selectivity and efficiency. Catalysis occurs in the enzyme's active site, where substrates bind near functional groups, enabling proximity effects. Artificial enzymes mimic this by combining substrate-binding sites (e.g., cyclodextrins, crown ethers, or calixarenes) with catalytic groups in small molecules.
Advances include artificial enzymes based on amino acids or peptides, such as scaffolded histidine residues mimicking metalloproteins like hemocyanin, tyrosinase, and catechol oxidase. Computational design using tools like Rosetta has enabled de novo creation of artificial enzymes.
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