Determination of the carbon kinetic isotope effects on propane hydroxylation mediated by the methane monooxygenases from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) by using stable carbon isotopic analysis.

Authentic propane with known position-specific carbon isotope composition at each carbon atom was subjected to hydroxylation by the particulate and soluble methane monooxygenase (pMMO and sMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), and the corresponding position-specific carbon isotope content was redetermined for the product 2-propanol. Neither the reaction mediated by pMMO nor that with sMMO showed an intermolecular (12)C/(13)C kinetic isotope effect effect on the propane hydroxylation at the secondary carbon; this indicates that there is little structural change at the carbon center attacked during formation of the transition state in the rate-determining step. This finding is in line with the concerted mechanism proposed for pMMO (Bath), and suggested for sMMO (Bath), namely, direct side-on insertion of an active "O" species across the C-H bond, as has been previously reported for singlet carbene insertion.