Christo Z Christov (Chem), chemistry PhD candidate Shobhit Chaturvedi, Rajeev Ramanan, a postdoctoral scholar currently at NIT Rourkela (India), Jian Hu (Michigan State University) and Robert Hausinger (Michigan State University) published an article entitled: “Atomic and Electronic Structure Determinants Distinguish between Ethylene Formation and L-Arginine Hydroxylation Reaction Mechanisms in the Ethylene-Forming Enzyme,” in ACS CATALYSIS. Their article reveals the unique mechanism of the non-heme Fe (II)- and 2-Oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent Ethylene-Forming Enzyme (EFE).
The study reveals that unique structural rearrangement triggers the splitting of the 2OG co-substrate that leads to the formation of ethylene in EFE in competition of a standard hydroxylation reaction. The study provides a background for increased enzymatic production of ethylene. The research is supported by NSF grants 1904215 and 1904295.