title: Soluble methane monooxygenase: activation of dioxygen and methane.
abstract: The mechanisms by which soluble methane monooxygenase uses dioxygen to convert methane selectively to methanol have come into sharp focus. Diverse techniques have clarified subtle details about each step in the reaction, from binding and activating dioxygen, to hydroxylation of alkanes and other substrates, to the electron transfer events required to complete the catalytic cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 18-498, Cambridge 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lippard
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D004579:Electron Transport; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007700:Kinetics; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry*; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000201:enzymology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012995:Solubility; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase; D008697:Methane; D010100:Oxygen