Chapter 2:Non-heme Iron-Dependent Dioxygenases: Mechanism and Structure

Dioxygenase enzymes catalyse a range of hydroxylation and oxidative cleavage reactions involving insertion of two atoms of oxygen from dioxygen. The chapter will discuss the active site structures and proposed catalytic mechanisms for the major classes of non-heme iron-dependent dioxygenases, apart from the α-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenases and cysteine dioxygenase, which are described in Chapters 1 and 3. The mechanisms of catalysis will be discussed for enzymes catalysing the oxidative cleavage of carbon–carbon double and single bonds, and dioxygenase enzymes catalysing peroxidation and hydroxylation reactions.