title: A metabolic switch produced by enzymically interconvertible forms of an enzyme.
abstract: A system of enzymically interconvertible enzyme forms (interconversion cycle) is known to increase the sensitivity to regulators. Here it is shown that this system may also provide a discrete switching mechanism in which the response is maintained when the stimulus is removed. These switches may be important in producing discontinuous metabolic changes such as those associated with cell differentiation.
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes