Ligand–receptor interactions: facts and fantasies

1985/08/01 by Irving M. Klotz · 8 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Medicine · #Antibody #Biochemistry #Biology #Biophysics #Cell biology #Chemistry #Ecology #Effector #Free Radicals and Antioxidants #Hapten #Immunology #Ligand (biochemistry) #Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications #Receptor #Redox biology and oxidative stress #Stereochemistry #Substrate (aquarium)

paper · doi:10.1017/s0033583500000354

openalex publication_date 1985/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15

Abstract

Except when radiation participates, all biological activities involve contact interactions between constituent reactants. At the molecular level, if one of the participants is smaller than its complementary partner, the former is usually designated the ‘ligand’ and the latter the ‘receptor’. Thus in an enzyme–substrate complex, the substrate is the ligand, the enzyme is the receptor. In immunological interactions, the ligand is the hapten or antigen, the receptor is the immunoglobulin. Neurotransmitters or hormones are effector ligands when they are bound to receptor sites at synapses or on cell membranes.

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