Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Laser-free Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting to Perform Higher Order Structural Analysis of Proteins
Published on: June 4, 2021
Evidence for protein radical-mediated nuclear tunneling in fatty acid alpha-oxygenase
Ankur Gupta1, Arnab Mukherjee, Kenji Matsui
1Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore Maryland 21218, USA.
Abstract:
Rice alpha-oxygenase (RalphaO) catalyzes the insertion of O2 into the Calpha-H bond of various fatty acids. The mechanism is thought to involve a tyrosyl radical as the oxidant on the basis of comparisons to the structurally homologous cyclooxygenase enzymes. Kinetic and spectroscopic results presented here for the wild-type RalphaO and the Tyr379Phe mutant indicate an irreversible H* abstraction mechanism and support the involvement of the proposed catalytic Tyr*. In addition, very large, weakly temperature dependent deuterium kinetic isotope effects (approximately 50) are observed, consistent with extensive nuclear tunneling. RalphaO, thus, presents a novel example where such quantum effects are associated with an amino acid radical-utilizing enzyme.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Radical Autoxidation
Radical Reactivity: Nucleophilic Radicals
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
Porin Insertion in the Outer Mitochondrial Membrane
Three models describe the assembly of porins by the SAM complex and their insertion into the outer membrane. Model 1 suggests that porins are assembled outside the SAM channel as the...
Structure of Porins
Radical Anti-Markovnikov Addition to Alkenes: Mechanism
The mechanism starts with chain initiation, which involves two steps. In the first chain initiation step, a weak peroxide bond is homolytically cleaved upon mild heating to form two alkoxy radicals. In the second initiation step, a hydrogen atom is abstracted by the alkoxy radical...

