Editing Isozyme (section)

{{Short description|Enzymes that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyze the same chemical reaction}}
In [[biochemistry]], '''isozymes''' (also known as '''isoenzymes''' or more generally as '''multiple forms of enzymes''') are [[enzyme]]s that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyze the same chemical reaction.  Isozymes usually have different kinetic parameters (e.g. different [[Michaelis-Menten kinetics|''K''<sub>M</sub>]] values), or are regulated differently.  They permit the fine-tuning of metabolism to meet the particular needs of a given tissue or developmental stage.

In many cases, isozymes are encoded by [[homology (biology)|homologous]] genes that have diverged over time.  Strictly speaking, enzymes with different amino acid sequences that catalyse the same reaction are isozymes if encoded by different genes, or [[allozyme]]s if encoded by different [[allele]]s of the same [[gene]]; the two terms are often used interchangeably.