Ethylene-forming Enzyme: Structure and Mechanism

该项目的长期目标是充分了解乙烯形成酶的机制。这项研究的重点是利用生物有机方法研究关键活性中心残基的同一性；为疑似自由基机制提供明确的证据；最终确定酶反应的化学计量学；并为氧活化机制建立合理的模型。由于这类酶不遵循经典的Pauling酶催化理论，因此发展多过渡态转化的酶催化新理论的必要性对这项工作具有进一步的意义。通过这一奖项，有机动力学项目支持了杜克大学化学系的迈克尔·C·皮尔龙格博士的研究。Pirrung教授将把他的工作重点放在了解乙烯形成酶的机制上，因为它是非血红素铁氧化酶类别中一个可用的和重要的成员。在其他原因中，这项工作被认为是重要的，因为天然乙烯生产过程是水果成熟的关键步骤。

The long term goal of the project is to fully understand the the mechanism of the ethylene-forming enzyme. The focus of this research is to use bioorganic methods to study the identity of critical active-site residues; to provide an unambiguous demonstration of a suspected radical mechanism; to finalize the enzymatic reaction stoichiometry; and to create a reasonable model for the mechanism of oxygen activation. Since enzymes of this class do not follow classic Pauling theories of enzymatic catalysis, the need to develop new theories of enzymatic catalysis for multi-transition state conversions provides further significance to the work. With this award the Organic Dynamics Program is supporting the research of Dr. Michael C. Pirrung of the Department of Chemistry at Duke University. Professor Pirrung will focus his work on understanding the mechanism of the ethylene-forming enzyme as an available and significant member of the class of non-heme iron oxidizing enzymes. Among other reasons, the work is deemed important since the process of natural ethylene production is a key step in the ripening of fruit.