A catalytic mechanism for the enzyme benzylamine oxidase from pig plasma.

Initial-velocity and product-inhibition studies on the enzyme benzylamine oxidase from pig plasma indicate that the order of substrate addition and product release is benzylamine on, ammonia off, oxygen on, hydrogen peroxide off, benzaldehyde off. Ammonia, but not benzaldehyde, is released under strictly anaerobic conditions which provides independent evidence for this order. Benzyl alcohol is a substrate for the enzyme. A chemical mechanism consistent with all the data is proposed.