Theory 09/Specialisation vs Robustness/Enzymes
Specialists Cannot Adapt
The claim
Enzyme substrate specialisation trades against promiscuity, so a highly evolved catalyst has less capacity to acquire a new function under selection.
01Mechanism
Specialisation narrows the active site; the same narrowing removes the flexibility that allows weak binding to alternative substrates.
02Prediction
Specialists should evolve new functions more slowly.
03Refutation
Promiscuity independent of specialisation would remove the trade-off.