Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Isotopic Effect in Double Proton Transfer Process of Porphycene Investigated by Enhanced QM/MM Method
Published on: July 19, 2019
Modeling the metabolic pathways of methylazoxymethanol: a semiempirical molecular orbital study
Abstract:
The NDDO semiempirical molecular orbital method (Kikuchi, 1977; Kikuchi and Maeda, 1977) was used to model proposed nonenzymatic metabolic pathways for the decomposition of methazoxymethanol (MAM) to a methyldiazonium ion. It was found that the lowest transition path involved protonation of the azoxy oxygen atom to form a six-membered transition state structure which decomposes to the methyldiazonium ion, CH2O, and a hydroxyl ion. This metabolic pathway is consistent with models proposed by Druckrey and Lange (1972) and Miyadera (1975). The calculations also suggest that methylazoxyformaldehyde, an enzymatic product of MAM, may directly alkylate to nucleic acid base sites.
Related Concept Videos
Molecular Models
Molecular Orbital Theory I
Molecular Orbital Theory II
Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane
Structure of Benzene: Molecular Orbital Model
Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions
The mechanism of methylation unfolds in two stages. The first stage sees a methyltransferase enzyme facilitating the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the substrate, forming S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The second stage involves further metabolism of SAH into homocysteine, which can be recycled...

