enzymology Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

, a methanol dehydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction: :methanol

\rightleftharpoons

formaldehyde + 2 electrons + 2H⁺ How the electrons are captured and transported depends upon the kind of methanol dehydrogenase and there are two main types. A common electron acceptor in biological systems is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) and some enzymes use a related molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP⁺). An NAD⁺-dependent methanol dehydrogenase() was first reported in a Gram-positive methylotroph and is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

that catalyzes the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...

:methanol + NAD⁺

\rightleftharpoons

formaldehyde + NADH + H⁺ Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...

and NAD⁺, whereas its 3

products Product may refer to: Business * Product (business), an item that serves as a solution to a specific consumer problem. * Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution Mathematics * Produ ...

are

formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...

NADH Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme central to metabolism. Found in all living cells, NAD is called a dinucleotide because it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups. One nucleotide contains an aden ...

, and H⁺. This enzyme belongs to the family of

oxidoreductase In biochemistry, an oxidoreductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from one molecule, the reductant, also called the electron donor, to another, the oxidant, also called the electron acceptor. This group of enzymes usually ut ...

s, specifically those acting on the CH-OH group of donor with NAD⁺ or NADP⁺ as acceptor. The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivial ...

of this enzyme class is methanol:NAD⁺ oxidoreductase. This enzyme participates in methane metabolism. Prior to the discovery of this enzyme, methanol oxidation in Gram-negative bacteria had been shown to be by way of an (NAD⁺) independent alcohol dehydrogenase found originally in ''Pseudomonas'' M27. This enzyme (EC. 1.1.99.8) contains a prosthetic group called Pyrrolo Quinoline Quinone (PQQ) that accepts the electrons generated from methanol oxidation and passes these electrons to cytochrome c.

References

Further reading