Nature's Machinery, Repurposed: Expanding the Repertoire of Iron-Dependent Oxygenases.

ABSTRACT: Iron is an especially important redox-active cofactor in biology because of its ability to mediate reactions with atmospheric O₂. Iron-dependent oxygenases exploit this earth-abundant transition metal for the insertion of oxygen atoms into organic compounds. Throughout the astounding diversity of transformations catalyzed by these enzymes, the protein framework directs reactive intermediates toward the precise formation of products, which, in many cases, necessitates the cleavage of strong C-H bonds. In recent years, members of several iron-dependent oxygenase families have been engineered for new-to-nature transformations that offer advantages over conventional synthetic methods. In this Perspective, we first explore what is known about the reactivity of heme-dependent cytochro

SUBMITTER: Dunham NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7710332 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature