Superoxide Dismutase

(To the tune of “Supercalifragilistiexpialidocious”)

When oxygen’s electrons all are in the balanced state
There’s twelve of them for oh-two. The molecule is great
But problems sometimes happen on the route to complex IV
Making reactive species that the cell cannot ignore

Oh superoxide dismutase is super catalytic
Keeping cells from getting very peroxynitritic
Faster than a radical, its actions are terrific
Superoxide dismutase is super catalytic

Enzyme, enzyme deep inside
Blocking all the bad oxides

The enzyme’s main advantage is it doesn’t have to wait
By binding superoxide in a near-transition state
It turns it to an oxygen in mechanism one
Producing “h two oh two” when the cycle is all done

Oh superoxide dismutase you’re faster than all them
You’ve got the highest ratio of kcat over KM
This means that superoxide cannot cause too much mayhem
Superoxide dismutase is faster than all them

Superoxide dismutase
Stopping superoxide’s ways

The enzyme’s like a ping-pong ball that mechanistic-ly
Bounces between two copper states, plus one and two you see
So S-O-D behaves just like an anti-oxidant
Giving as much protection as a cell could ever want

Oh superoxide dismutase, the cell’s in love with you
Because you let electron transport do what it must do
Without accumulation of a radical oh two
Superoxide dismutase – that’s why a cell loves you