Chem 303: The Role of Metals in Life

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the role of metals in biochemistry, specifically focusing on non-heme iron enzymes and hydrocarbon metabolism.

Non-Heme Iron Enzymes

Enzymes that do not contain heme, often containing iron, and play crucial roles in various biological processes.

Methane Monooxygenase (MMO)

An enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of methane (CH4) to methanol (CH3OH), a process critical for methane metabolism.

Dinuclear Non-Heme Iron Enzymes

Enzymes that contain two iron atoms and are involved in biological oxidation processes.

Rieske-Type Dioxygenases

A type of enzyme that catalyzes the cis-dihydroxylation of non-activated aromatic compounds.

Hydrocarbon Metabolism

The biological processes through which hydrocarbons, such as methane, are metabolized by organisms.

Active site

The region in an enzyme where substrate binding and catalysis occur.

Hydroxylation

The introduction of a hydroxyl group (-OH) into an organic compound, often catalyzed by enzymes.

a-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Hydroxylases

A family of enzymes that use a-ketoglutarate as a cofactor for hydroxylation reactions.

Extradiol Dioxygenases

Enzymes that cleave catechols to produce ring-opened products, involving oxygen activation.

Intradiol Dioxygenases

Enzymes active in the ferric form that cleave catechols and require substrate activation.

Substrate Activation

The process of preparing a substrate for reaction through binding to the enzyme's active site.