The enzyme, characterized from the bacterium Thauera butanivorans, is similar to EC 1.14.13.25, methane monooxygenase (soluble), but has a very low activity with methane. It comprises three components – a carboxylate-bridged non-heme di-iron center-containing hydroxylase (made of three different subunits), a flavo- iron sulfur-containing NADH-oxidoreductase, and a small regulatory component protein. The enzyme can also act on other C3-C6 linear and branched aliphatic alkanes with lower activity.
