The functionalisation of saturated hydrocarbons--XXX. Model studies on the mechanism of some oxygenases.

In harmony with our studies on the activation of hydrocarbons by Gif chemistry, we have, in the first part of this paper, studied the mechanism of the lipoxygenase enzymes using soybean lipoxygenase as a model. We have shown with trimethyl phosphite that no free radical is released by the enzyme. In a second part, we have studied the mechanism of the alpha-ketoglutarate dependent enzymes and shown evidence for a mechanism involving the reduction of an intermediate hydroperoxide by the alpha-ketoglutaric acid.