An oxygenase is any

enzyme 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

oxidizes Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a de ...

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (locomotion), the surface over which an organism lo ...

by transferring the

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 we ...

from molecular oxygen O₂ (as in air) to it. The oxygenases form a class 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 ...

s; their EC number is EC 1.13 or EC 1.14.

Discoverers

Oxygenases were discovered in 1955 simultaneously by two groups,

Osamu Hayaishi , was a Japanese biochemist, physiologist, and military physician. He discovered Oxygenases at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to ...

from Japan and Howard S. Mason from the US. Hayaishi was awarded the 1986

Wolf Prize in Medicine The Wolf Prize in Medicine is awarded annually by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Arts. The ...

"for the discovery of the oxygenase enzymes and elucidation of their structure and biological importance."

Chemical Makeup

Oxygenases consist of both

constitutive Constitutive may refer to: * In physics, a constitutive equation is a relation between two physical quantities * In ecology, a constitutive defense is one that is always active, as opposed to an inducible defense * Constitutive theory of statehood ...

and

inducible isozymes Induction, Inducible or Inductive may refer to: Biology and medicine * Labor induction (birth/pregnancy) * Induction chemotherapy Induction chemotherapy is the first-line treatment of cancer with a chemotherapeutic drug. The goal of ind ...

(HO-1, HO-2). These constitute a major intracellular source of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

and

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide ( chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...

Types

There are two types of oxygenases: *

Monooxygenase Monooxygenases are enzymes that incorporate one hydroxyl group (−OH) into substrates in many metabolic pathways. In this reaction, the two atoms of dioxygen are reduced to one hydroxyl group and one H2O molecule by the concomitant oxidation ...

s, or

mixed function oxidase Mixed-function oxidase is the name of a family of oxidase enzymes that catalyze a reaction in which each of the two atoms of oxygen in O2 is used for a different function in the reaction. Oxidase is a general name for enzymes that catalyze oxidat ...

, transfer one oxygen atom to the substrate, and reduce the other oxygen atom to

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 ...

. *

Dioxygenase Dioxygenases are oxidoreductase enzymes. Aerobic life, from simple single-celled bacteria species to complex eukaryotic organisms, has evolved to depend on the oxidizing power of dioxygen in various metabolic pathways. From energetic adenosine tri ...

s, or oxygen transferases, incorporate both atoms of molecular oxygen (O₂) into the product(s) of the reaction. Among the most important monooxygenases are the

cytochrome P450 oxidase Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor that functions as monooxygenases. In mammals, these proteins oxidize steroids, fatty acids, and xenobiotics, and are important for the clearance of various ...

s, responsible for breaking down numerous chemicals in the body.

References

Enzymes Oxygenases {{enzyme-stub