Microbial biosynthesis of medium-chain 1-alkenes by a nonheme iron oxidase. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Aliphatic medium-chain 1-alkenes (MCAEs, 10 carbons) are "drop-in" compatible next-generation fuels and precursors to commodity chemicals. Mass production of MCAEs from renewable resources holds promise for mitigating dependence on fossil hydrocarbons. An MCAE, such as 1-undecene, is naturally produced by Pseudomonas as a semivolatile metabolite through an unknown biosynthetic pathway. We describe here the discovery of a single gene conserved in Pseudomonas responsible for 1-undecene biosynthesis. The encoded enzyme is able to convert medium-chain fatty acids (C10-C14) into their corresponding terminal olefins using an oxygen-activating, nonheme iron-dependent mechanism. Both biochemical and X-ray crystal structural analyses suggest an unusual mechanism of -hydrogen abstraction during fatty acid substrate activation. Our discovery unveils previously unidentified chemistry in the nonheme Fe(II) enzyme family, provides an opportunity to explore the biology of 1-undecene in Pseudomonas, and paves the way for tailored bioconversion of renewable raw materials to MCAE-based biofuels and chemical commodities.

published proceedings

  • Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

altmetric score

  • 13.474

author list (cited authors)

  • Rui, Z., Li, X., Zhu, X., Liu, J., Domigan, B., Barr, I., Cate, J., & Zhang, W.

citation count

  • 163

complete list of authors

  • Rui, Zhe||Li, Xin||Zhu, Xuejun||Liu, Joyce||Domigan, Bonnie||Barr, Ian||Cate, Jamie HD||Zhang, Wenjun

publication date

  • December 2014