Coenzyme, cofactor and prosthetic group : ambiguous biochemical jargon

Hashim, O.H.; Adnan, N.A. (1994) Coenzyme, cofactor and prosthetic group : ambiguous biochemical jargon. Biochemical Education, 22 (2). pp. 93-94. ISSN 1879-1468

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Abstract

For enzymes which require non-protein components to be functionally active, it is generally accepted that the term holoenzyme refers to the complete catalytic entity which consists of a protein part known as the apoenzyme and a non-protein constituent. The terms used for the functionally required non-protein constituents however, are ambiguous and differ from one commonly used biochemistry textbook to another. In certain textbooks, any associative non-protein factor required for the enzymatic function is termed coenzyme. The coenzyme may eitherbe a prosthetic group — the tightly bound coenzyme, or a cofactor — the loosely bound small organic or inorganic molecule.

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