Probing enzyme-mediated oxidation reactions in crystallo*

Reaction intermediates define the chemical steps of transformation from substrates to products, and capture of intermediates along catalytic pathways remains one focal point in the studies of enzymatic mechanisms. Performing enzymatic reactions in protein single crystals has been shown to be very effective in trapping and identifying unstable intermediates. In this critical review, we provide several examples of in crystallo approaches to trap reactive oxidation intermediates, thereby allowing the studies of enzymatic oxidation mechanisms.