title: Methane monooxygenase catalyzed oxygenation of 1,1-dimethylcyclopropane. Evidence for radical and carbocationic intermediates.
abstract: Methane monooxygenase catalyzes the oxygenation of 1,1-dimethylcyclopropane in the presence of O2 and NADH to (1-methylcyclopropyl)methanol (81%), 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (6%), and 1-methyl-cyclobutanol (13%). Oxygenation by 18O2 using the purified enzyme proceeds with incorporation of 18O into the products. Inasmuch as methane monooxygenase catalyzes the insertion of O from O2 into a carbon-hydrogen bond of alkanes, (1-methylcyclopropyl)methanol appears to be a conventional oxygenation product. 3-Methyl-3-buten-1-ol is a rearrangement product that can be rationalized on the basis that enzymatic oxygenation of 1,1-dimethylcyclopropane proceeds via the (1-methylcyclopropyl)carbinyl radical, which is expected to undergo rearrangement with ring opening to the homoallylic 3-methyl-3-buten-1-yl radical in competition with conventional oxygenation. Oxygenation of the latter radical gives 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol. 1-Methylcyclobutanol is a ring-expansion product, whose formation is best explained on the basis that the 1-methylcyclobutyl tertiary carbocation is an oxygenation intermediate. This cation would result from rearrangements of carbocations derived by one-electron oxidation of either radical intermediate. The fact that both 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol and 1-methylcyclobutanol are produced suggests that the oxygenation mechanism involves both radical and carbocationic intermediates. Radicals and carbocations can both be intermediates if they are connected by an electron-transfer step. A reasonable reaction sequence is one in which the cofactor (mu-oxo)diiron reacts with O2 and two electrons to generate a hydrogen atom abstracting species and an oxidizing agent. The hydrogen-abstracting species might be the enzymic radical or another species generated by the iron complex and O2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institute for Enzyme Research, Graduate School, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53705.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruzicka
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000201:enzymology*; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; C063982:1,1-dimethylcyclopropane; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase