The 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad: a versatile platform for dioxygen activation by mononuclear non-heme iron(II) enzymes

General knowledge of dioxygen-activating mononuclear non-heme iron(II) enzymes containing a 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad has significantly expanded in the last few years, due in large part to the extensive library of crystal structures that is now available. The common structural motif utilized by this enzyme superfamily acts as a platform upon which a wide assortment of substrate transformations are catalyzed. The facial triad binds a divalent metal ion at the active site, which leaves the opposite face of the octahedron available to coordinate a variety of exogenous ligands. The binding of substrate activates the metal center for attack by dioxygen, which is subsequently converted to a high-valent iron intermediate, a formidable oxidizing species. Herein, we summarize crystallographic and mechanistic features of this metalloenzyme superfamily, which has enabled the proposal of a common but flexible pathway for dioxygen activation.