Kinetic simulation of methane and ethane hydroxylation by methane monooxygenase

According to the mechanism of alkane hydroxylation, whose main postulate is the formation of an intermediate complex containing pentacoordinated carbon, the hydroxylation of methane and ethane by methane monooxygenase was kinetically simulated by the numerical method. The published data on the kinetic isotope effects of oxidation of deuterium-substituted methane molecules (CHD3, CH2D2, and CH3D) and the distribution of products of chiral ethane (R- and S-MeCHDT) oxidation by methane monooxygenase were examined. The kinetic models proposed for the oxidation of isotopically substituted methane and ethane are in good agreement with experimental data.