Question

Drug detoxification often involves _____________, catalyzed by a member of the _________________ family of proteins, also called monooxygenases

A) Hydrolysis, Kinase
B) Oxidation, Cytochrome P450
C) Methylation, Transferase
D) Reduction, Polymerase

Answer 1

Drug detoxification typically involves oxidation reactions catalyzed by Cytochrome P450 enzymes, which comprise a significant family of monooxygenases responsible for the metabolism of various substances.

Step-by-step explanation:

Drug detoxification often involves oxidation, catalyzed by a member of the Cytochrome P450 family of proteins, also called monooxygenases. This family includes enzymes that play a crucial role in the metabolism of various compounds, including the breakdown of harmful substances in the body. Oxidation reactions are a part of Phase I metabolic processes where drugs and other foreign chemicals are converted into more polar (water-soluble) metabolites, sometimes introducing or unmasking a functional group (such as –OH or –NH2) and often resulting in an increase in the reactivity of the biotransformed compound.

Some specific examples of oxidation reactions catalyzed by the Cytochrome P450 enzymes include the metabolism of ethanol by the alcohol dehydrogenase system, where ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde, and then to acetate by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Other reactions, such as the conversion of methane to methanol by methane monooxygenase, highlight the key role of monooxygenases in incorporating an oxygen atom into the substrate.