Background and Goals

• Sulfite Oxidase (SO) is a molybdenum-containing enzyme that plays a vital role in sulfur catabolism in animals, plants, and bacteria.
• In humans, sulfite oxidase deficiency is an inherited disorder that results in severe neonatal neurological problems and early death, possibly due to the accumulation of SO₃^2-.
• Our goal is to understand the structure/function relationships of SO and other molybdenum enzymes through comprehensive studies of native and modified enzymes and synthetic model compounds.
• Our research utilizes synthesis, site-directed mutagenesis, laser flash photolysis, pulsed EPR spectroscopy, gas-phase photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemistry, electronic spectroscopy and computational methods.

Chicken Sulfite Oxidase

Sulfite Oxidase Active Site

Sulfite Oxidase Proposed Mechanism