Oxygenase Pathways: Oxo, Peroxo, and Superoxo

The controlled oxidation of organic species is central to many metabolic pathways. In their Perspective, Que and Watanabe report from a recent symposium on oxygen activation by enzymes and model compounds. They highlight two themes that emerged from the symposium: a common oxygen activation scheme, and the importance of molecular oxygen in posttranslational modification of proteins.