MECHANISM OF METHANE MONOOXYGENASE - A STRUCTURAL AND QUANTUM-CHEMICAL PERSPECTIVE

The diiron site of methane monooxygenase (MMO) has the unique ability to activate methane. Structural studies of the MMO diiron site have re vealed a limited number of coordination sites for dioxygen and dioxyge n derived species. Using quantum mechanical studies of the MMO reactio n, several possible reaction paths have been investigated. Energetical ly feasible geometries have been obtained for the different reaction s teps, where the substrate activation is best described by an almost pu re hydrogen abstraction step, followed by the fort-nation of a metal-c arbon bond.