O-dealkylation: A newly discovered class of reactions catalysed by the soluble mono-oxygenase of the methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium 0B3b

Summary Cell-free extracts of Methylosinus trichosporium 0B3b (MT 0B3b) containing the soluble, broad specificity methane mono-oxygenase (MMO) have been shown to catalyse yet another type of reaction : O-dealkylation. Several 4-substituted anisoles were investigated as substrates, all showed O-demethylation to varying extents by cell-free extracts of the bacterium. This catalytic ability is common to organisms grown on either methane or methanol as sole carbon source, although the rates of biotransformation are lower for the latter. O-demethylation of anisole itself was inhibited (> 99%) by ethyne, a known MMO inhibitor, strongly indicating that the MMO is the enzyme responsible for this catalysis.