Synergism in the folate pathway.
Synergism between inhibitors acting on different enzymes of a metabolic pathway can occur as a simple consequence of the nonlinear nature of normal enzyme kinetics. However, whether synergism does or does not occur is then determined entirely by the configuration of the pathway. Synergism between trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole results from the cyclic configuration of the folate pathway.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000494:pharmacology*
D005492:Folic Acid; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole