Types of ligands

Under construction!

In biochemistry and pharmacology, a ligand is a substance that forms a complex with a biomolecule to serve a biological purpose.

Ligands include:

Substrates

• AChE inhibitors and substrates
• Drug Metabolism by CYP450 Enzymes
• Malarial Dihydrofolate Reductase as Drug Target
• In a substrate reduction therapy a small molecule inhibitor (Zavesca™) is used to inhibit the synthesis of the accumulated glucosylceramide.

Inhibitors

• AChE inhibitors and substrates
• Drug Metabolism by CYP450 Enzymes
• In a substrate reduction therapy a small molecule inhibitor (Zavesca™) is used to inhibit the synthesis of the accumulated glucosylceramide.

Activators

Signaling lipids

Neurotransmitters

A ligand that can bind to and alter the function of the receptor that triggers a physiological response is called a receptor agonist.

• acts as a 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) superagonist of Vitamin D on Vitamin D receptor and exhibits both antiproliferative and prodifferentiating properties in vitro.
• in Transport inhibitor response 1 (3c6o). Water molecules are shown as red spheres.
• of human Bile acid receptor ligand-binding domain (deeppink) complex with non-steroidal agonist, nuclear receptor coactivator 1 peptide (cyan) and sulfate ions (PDB entry 3ruu). ^[1]

Ligands that bind to a receptor but fail to activate the physiological response are receptor antagonists.