Abstract
WE have previously shown1 that peroxidase, together with hydrogen peroxide, will oxidize mesidine (I) to the purple crystalline compound 2 : 6-dimethylbenzoquinone-4-(2′ : 4′ : 6′-trimethyl) anil (V) in 95 per cent yield. When ferrous iron was substituted for the enzyme, the product was mainly ill-defined amorphous material. This enzymatic oxidation involves the elimination of a methyl group, and at the time we postulated the intermediate formation of 2 : 6-dimethylbenzoquinone (II) to explain the reaction. More recently we have shown2 that the peroxidase system will oxidize 4-methoxy-2 : 6-di-methylaniline with the facile elimination of a methoxyl group (detected as methyl alcohol). p-Anisidine is also oxidized3, with the elimination of a methoxyl group, to 2-amino-5-p-anisidinobenzoquinone-bis-anisylimine and tetra-p-methoxy azophenine.
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Chapman, N. B., and Saunders, B. C., J. Chem. Soc., 496 (1941).
Saunders, B. C., and Watson, G. H. R., Biochem. J. (in the press).
Daniels, D. G. H., and Saunders, B. C. (to be published).
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BOOTH, H., SAUNDERS, B. Enzymatic Oxidation of —CH3 to —CHO. Nature 165, 567 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/165567a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/165567a0
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