Fatty Acid Chain Shortening by a Fungal Peroxygenase

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 23; no. 67; pp. 16985 - 16989
• Main Authors: Olmedo, Andrés, Río, José C. del, Kiebist, Jan, Ullrich, René, Hofrichter, Martin, Scheibner, Katrin, Martínez, Angel T., Gutiérrez, Ana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Agrocybe - enzymology; Carboxylic acids; Catalysis; chain shortening; Chains; Chemistry; Communication; Communications; Crystal structure; Decarboxylation; Dicarboxylic acids; enzymes; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Fungal Proteins - chemistry; Heme; Heme - chemistry; Hydrogen - chemistry; Hydrogen peroxide; Kinetics; Mixed Function Oxygenases - chemistry; Molecular Structure; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen - chemistry; Thermodynamics; oxidation; enzymes; chain shortening; carboxylic acids; hydrogen peroxide
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201704773

A recently discovered peroxygenase from the fungus Marasmius rotula (MroUPO) is able to catalyze the progressive one‐carbon shortening of medium and long‐chain mono‐ and dicarboxylic acids by itself alone, in the presence of H2O2. The mechanism, analyzed using H218O2, starts with an α‐oxidation catalyzed by MroUPO generating an α‐hydroxy acid, which is further oxidized by the enzyme to a reactive α‐keto intermediate whose decarboxylation yields the one‐carbon shorter fatty acid. Compared with the previously characterized peroxygenase of Agrocybe aegerita, a wider heme access channel, enabling fatty acid positioning with the carboxylic end near the heme cofactor (as seen in one of the crystal structures available) could be at the origin of the unique ability of MroUPO shortening carboxylic acid chains. Magic from a mushroom: A peroxygenase from the fungus Marasmius rotula catalyzes the stepwise chain shortening of carboxylic acids by one carbon atom, in the presence of H2O2 as the sole co‐substrate.