Mixed-function oxidase is the name of a family of
oxidase
In biochemistry, an oxidase is an enzyme that catalyzes oxidation-reduction reactions, especially one involving dioxygen (O2) as the electron acceptor. In reactions involving donation of a hydrogen atom, oxygen is reduced to water (H2O) or hydro ...
enzymes
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...
that catalyze a reaction in which each of the two atoms of
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...
in O
2 is used for a different function in the reaction.
Oxidase is a general name for enzymes that catalyze oxidations in which molecular oxygen is the electron acceptor but oxygen atoms do not appear in the oxidized product. Often, oxygen is reduced to either
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
(
cytochrome oxidase
The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase or Complex IV, (was , now reclassified as a translocasEC 7.1.1.9 is a large transmembrane protein complex found in bacteria, archaea, and mitochondria of eukaryotes.
It is the last enzyme in the respiratory electr ...
of the
mitochondrial
A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is use ...
electron transfer chain
An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of protein complexes and other molecules that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) and couples thi ...
) or
hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%†...
(
dehydrogenation
In chemistry, dehydrogenation is a chemical reaction that involves the removal of hydrogen, usually from an organic molecule. It is the reverse of hydrogenation. Dehydrogenation is important, both as a useful reaction and a serious problem. At ...
of fatty acyl-CoA in
peroxisome
A peroxisome () is a membrane-bound organelle, a type of microbody, found in the cytoplasm of virtually all eukaryotic cells. Peroxisomes are oxidative organelles. Frequently, molecular oxygen serves as a co-substrate, from which hydrogen pero ...
s). Most of the oxidases are
flavoprotein
Flavoproteins are proteins that contain a nucleic acid derivative of riboflavin.
Flavoproteins are involved in a wide array of biological processes, including removal of radicals contributing to oxidative stress, photosynthesis, and DNA repair ...
s.
The name "mixed-function oxidase" indicates that the enzyme oxidizes two different substrate simultaneously. Desaturation of fatty acyl-CoA in vertebrates is an example of the mixed-function oxidase reaction. In the process, saturated fatty acyl-CoA and
NADPH
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, abbreviated NADP or, in older notation, TPN (triphosphopyridine nucleotide), is a cofactor used in anabolic reactions, such as the Calvin cycle and lipid and nucleic acid syntheses, which require NAD ...
are oxidized by molecular oxygen (O
2) to produce monounsaturated fatty acyl-CoA, NADP
+ and 2 molecules of water.
Reaction
The mixed-function oxidase reaction proceeds as follows:
AH + BH
2 + O
2 --> AOH + B + H
2O (H
2O as catalyst.)
Medical significance
High levels of mixed-function oxidase activity has been studied for their activation effects in human colon carcinoma cell lines, to study the susceptibility to certain cancers. The research has been successful in mice but remains inconclusive in humans.
[Kellerman G, Jett JR, Luyten-Kellermann M, Moses HL, Variation of microsomal mixed function oxidase(s) and human lung cancer, Cancer (Impact Factor: 5.2). 06/2006; 45(6):1438 - 1442. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800315)45:6]
References
Oxidoreductases
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