Oxidoreductases;
Acting on paired donors, with incorporation or reduction of molecular oxygen;
With reduced iron-sulfur protein as one donor, and incorporation of one atom of oxygen into the other donor
The enzyme, characterized from several Pseudomonas strains, initiates p-cymene catabolism through hydroxylation of the methyl group. The enzyme has a distinct preference for substrates containing at least an alkyl or heteroatom substituent at the para-position of toluene. The electrons are provided by a reductase (EC 1.18.1.3, ferredoxin---NAD+ reductase) that transfers electrons from NADH via FAD and an [2Fe-2S] cluster. In Pseudomonas chlororaphis the presence of a third component of unknown function greatly increases the activity. cf. EC 1.14.15.26, toluene methyl-monooxygenase.