Mixed regiospecificity compromises alkene synthesis by a cytochrome P450 peroxygenase from Methylobacterium populi

Enhancing ferryl accumulation in H2O2-dependent cytochrome P450s

A facile strategy is presented to enhance the accumulation of ferryl (iron(IV)-oxo) species in H2O2 dependent cytochrome P450s (CYPs) of the CYP152 family. We report the characterization of a highly chemoselective CYP decarboxylase from Staphylococcus aureus (OleTSA) that is soluble at high concentrations. Examination of OleTSA Compound I (CpdI) accumulation with a variety of fatty acid substrates reveals a dependence on resting spin-state equilibrium. Alteration of this equilibrium through targeted mutagenesis of the proximal pocket favors the high-spin form, and as a result, enhances Cpd-I accumulation to nearly stoichiometric yields.

Spectroscopic studies of the interaction between phosphorus heterocycles and cytochrome P450

P450 fatty acid decarboxylase OleT from Staphylococcus aureus (OleT_SA) is a novel cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of fatty acids to yield primarily terminal alkenes and CO₂ or minor α- and β-hydroxylated fatty acids as side-products. In this work, the interactions between a series of cycloalkyl phosphorus heterocycles (CPHs) and OleT_SA were investigated in detail by fluorescence titration experiment, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and ³¹P NMR spectroscopies. Fluorescence titration experiment results clearly showed that a dynamic quenching occurred when CPH-6, a representative CPHs, interacted with OleT_SA with a binding constant value of 15.2 × 10⁴ M^-1 at 293 K. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) showed that the hydrogen bond and van der Waals force played major roles in the interaction between OleT_SA and CPHs. The UV-vis and ³¹P NMR studies indicated the penetration of CPH-6 into the interior environment of OleT_SA, which greatly affects the enzymatic activity of OleT_SA. Therefore, our study revealed an effective way to use phosphorus heterocyclic compounds to modulate the activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Enzymatic Oxidative Cascade for Oxofunctionalization of Fatty Acids in One-Pot

The biocatalytic conversion of fatty acids to α-ketoacids was accomplished by the action of two enzymes combined in a simultaneous one-pot two-step cascade. In the first step, P450 monooxygenase from Sphingomonas paucimobilis used hydrogen peroxide in the so-called peroxygenase mode for the regio- and enantioselective formation of α-hydroxyacids. In the next step, these hydroxyacid intermediates were further oxidized to the corresponding α-ketoacids by an α-hydroxyacid oxidase from Aerococcus viridans at the expense of molecular oxygen, thereby regenerating hydrogen peroxide used in the first step. Overall, the cascade was designed to employ catalytic quantities of hydrogen peroxide and proceeded at room temperature in dilute aqueous H₂O₂ solutions (≤0.01%). This setup could be applied to the conversion of a range of fatty acids (C6:0 to C10:0) and was scaled up to allow the production of 2-oxooctanoic acid in 91% isolated yield.

Enzymes, In Vivo Biocatalysis, and Metabolic Engineering for Enabling a Circular Economy and Sustainability

Since the industrial revolution, the rapid growth and development of global industries have depended largely upon the utilization of coal-derived chemicals, and more recently, the utilization of petroleum-based chemicals. These developments have followed a linear economy model (produce, consume, and dispose). As the world is facing a serious threat from the climate change crisis, a more sustainable solution for manufacturing, i.e., circular economy in which waste from the same or different industries can be used as feedstocks or resources for production offers an attractive industrial/business model. In nature, biological systems, i.e., microorganisms routinely use their enzymes and metabolic pathways to convert organic and inorganic wastes to synthesize biochemicals and energy required for their growth. Therefore, an understanding of how selected enzymes convert biobased feedstocks into special (bio)chemicals serves as an important basis from which to build on for applications in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology to enable biobased processes that are greener and cleaner for the environment. This review article highlights the current state of knowledge regarding the enzymatic reactions used in converting biobased wastes (lignocellulosic biomass, sugar, phenolic acid, triglyceride, fatty acid, and glycerol) and greenhouse gases (CO₂ and CH₄) into value-added products and discusses the current progress made in their metabolic engineering. The commercial aspects and life cycle assessment of products from enzymatic and metabolic engineering are also discussed. Continued development in the field of metabolic engineering would offer diversified solutions which are sustainable and renewable for manufacturing valuable chemicals.

Temperature and solvent exposure response of three fatty acid peroxygenase enzymes for application in industrial enzyme processes

Free fatty acids (FFAs) are a useful feedstock for a range of industrial chemical synthesis applications. However, efficiently converting FFAs to molecules for biofuel and other high-value chemicals requires more efficient and cost-effective catalysts. Cytochrome P450 fatty acid peroxygenases (CYP152) have a unique chemistry that allows use of the peroxide shunt pathway for biochemical conversion of FFAs. Known CYP152s are heat labile, however, requiring characterization of more thermotolerant versions for use in industrial applications. A fatty acid peroxygenase from Bacillus methanolicus (CYP152K6) was shown here to have a higher optimal reaction temperature than OleT (CYP152L1). CYP152K6 was stable up to 50 °C and showed great stability in 3% acetone and dimethylformamide. Stability in solvents helps the enzyme's substrates remain soluble in solution for more efficient catalysis, and heat stability allows enzymes to remain active longer during industrial processes.

Using Small Molecules to Enhance P450 OleT Enzyme Activity in Situ

Cytochrome P450 OleT is a fatty acid decarboxylase that catalyzes the production of olefins with biofuel and synthetic applications. However, the relatively sluggish catalytic efficiency of the enzyme limits its applications. Here, we report the application of a novel class of benzene containing small molecules to improve the OleT activity. The UV-Vis spectroscopy study and molecular docking results confirmed the high proximity of the small molecules to the heme group of OleT. Up to 6-fold increase of product yield has been achieved in the small molecule-modulated enzymatic reactions. Our work thus sheds the light to the application of small molecules to increase the OleT catalytic efficiency, which could be potentially used for future olefin productions.

P450Jα : A New, Robust and α-Selective Fatty Acid Hydroxylase Displaying Unexpected 1-Alkene Formation

Oxyfunctionalization of fatty acids (FAs) is a key step in the design of novel synthetic pathways for biobased/biodegradable polymers, surfactants and fuels. Here, we show the isolation and characterization of a robust FA α-hydroxylase (P450_Jα ) which catalyses the selective conversion of a broad range of FAs (C6:0-C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1) with H₂ O₂ as oxidant. Under optimized reaction conditions P450_Jα yields α-hydroxy acids all with >95 % regioselectivity, high specific activity (up to 15.2 U mg^-1 ) and efficient coupling of oxidant to product (up to 85 %). Lauric acid (C12:0) turned out to be an excellent substrate with respect to productivity (TON=394 min^-1 ). On preparative scale, conversion of C12:0 reached 83 % (0.9 g L^-1 ) when supplementing H₂ O₂ in fed-batch mode. Under similar conditions P450_Jα allowed further the first biocatalytic α-hydroxylation of oleic acid (88 % conversion on 100 mL scale) at high selectivity and in good yields (1.1 g L^-1 ; 79 % isolated yield). Unexpectedly, P450_Jα displayed also 1-alkene formation from shorter chain FAs (≤C10:0) showing that oxidative decarboxylation is more widely distributed across this enzyme family than reported previously.

Production of Propene from n-Butanol: A Three-Step Cascade Utilizing the Cytochrome P450 Fatty Acid Decarboxylase OleTJE

Propene is one of the most important starting materials in the chemical industry. Herein, we report an enzymatic cascade reaction for the biocatalytic production of propene starting from n-butanol, thus offering a biobased production from glucose. In order to create an efficient system, we faced the issue of an optimal cofactor supply for the fatty acid decarboxylase OleTJE , which is said to be driven by either NAD(P)H or H2 O2 . In the first system, we used an alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase coupled to OleTJE by the electron-transfer complex putidaredoxin reductase/putidaredoxin, allowing regeneration of the NAD+ cofactor. With the second system, we intended full oxidation of n-butanol to butyric acid, generating one equivalent of H2 O2 that can be used for the oxidative decarboxylation. As the optimal substrate is a long-chain fatty acid, we also tried to create an improved variant for the decarboxylation of butyric acid by using rational protein design. Within a mutational study with 57 designed mutants, we generated the mutant OleTV292I , which showed a 2.4-fold improvement in propene production in our H2 O2 -driven cascade system and reached total turnover numbers >1000.

Enhanced P450 fatty acid decarboxylase catalysis by glucose oxidase coupling and co-assembly for biofuel generation

Cytochrome P450 OleT is a fatty acid decarboxylase that uses hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to catalyze the production of terminal alkenes, which are industrially important chemicals with biofuel and synthetic applications. Despite its requirement for large turnover levels, high concentrations of H₂O₂ may cause heme group degradation, diminishing enzymatic activity and limiting broad application for synthesis. Here, we report an artificial enzyme cascade composed of glucose oxidase (GOx) and OleT_SA from Staphylococcus aureus for efficient terminal alkene production. By adjusting the ratio of GOx to OleT_SA, the GOx-based tandem catalysis shows significantly improved product yield compared to the H₂O₂ injection method. Moreover, the co-assembly of the GOx/OleT_SA enzymes with a polymer, forming polymer-dual enzymes nanoparticles, displays improved activity compared to the free enzyme. This dual strategy provides a simple and efficient system to transform a naturally abundant feedstock to industrially important chemicals.

Mechanistic Studies of Fatty Acid Activation by CYP152 Peroxygenases Reveal Unexpected Desaturase Activity

The majority of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) predominantly operate as monooxygenases, but recently a class of P450 enzymes was discovered, that can act as peroxygenases (CYP152). These enzymes convert fatty acids through oxidative decarboxylation, yielding terminal alkenes, and through α- and β-hydroxylation to yield hydroxy-fatty acids. Bioderived olefins may serve as biofuels, and hence understanding the mechanism and substrate scope of this class of enzymes is important. In this work, we report on the substrate scope and catalytic promiscuity of CYP OleT_JE and two of its orthologues from the CYP152 family, utilizing α-monosubstituted branched carboxylic acids. We identify α,β-desaturation as an unexpected dominant pathway for CYP OleT_JE with 2-methylbutyric acid. To rationalize product distributions arising from α/β-hydroxylation, oxidative decarboxylation, and desaturation depending on the substrate’s structure and binding pattern, a computational study was performed based on an active site complex of CYP OleT_JE containing the heme cofactor in the substrate binding pocket and 2-methylbutyric acid as substrate. It is shown that substrate positioning determines the accessibility of the oxidizing species (Compound I) to the substrate and hence the regio- and chemoselectivity of the reaction. Furthermore, the results show that, for 2-methylbutyric acid, α,β-desaturation is favorable because of a rate-determining α-hydrogen atom abstraction, which cannot proceed to decarboxylation. Moreover, substrate hydroxylation is energetically impeded due to the tight shape and size of the substrate binding pocket.

Biochemical characterization of three new α-olefin-producing P450 fatty acid decarboxylases with a halophilic property

BACKGROUND

The CYP152 family member OleT_JE from Jeotgalicoccus sp. ATCC 8456 has been well-known to catalyze the unusual one-step decarboxylation of free fatty acids towards the formation of terminal alkenes. Efforts to tune up its decarboxylation activity for better production of biological alkenes have been extensively explored via approaches such as site-directed mutagenesis and electron source engineering, but with limited success. To gain more insights into the decarboxylation mechanism and reaction bifurcation (decarboxylation versus hydroxylation), we turned to an alternative approach to explore the natural CYP152 resources for a better variety of enzyme candidates.

RESULTS

We biochemically characterized three new P450 fatty acid decarboxylases including OleT_JH, OleT_SQ and OleT_SA, with respect to their substrate specificity, steady-state kinetics, and salt effects. These enzymes all act as an OleT_JE-like fatty acid decarboxylase being able to decarboxylate a range of straight-chain saturated fatty acids (C₈-C₂₀) to various degrees. Site-directed mutagenesis analysis to the lower activity P450 enzyme OleT_SA revealed a number of key amino acid residues within the substrate-binding pocket (T47F, I177L, V319A and L405I) that are important for delicate substrate positioning of different chain-length fatty acids and thus the decarboxylation versus hydroxylation chemoselectivity, in particular for the mid-chain fatty acids (C₈-C₁₂). In addition, the three new decarboxylases exhibited optimal catalytic activity and stability at a salt concentration of 0.5 M, and were thus classified as moderate halophilic enzymes.

CONCLUSION

The P450 fatty acid decarboxylases OleT_JE, OleT_JH, OleT_SQ and OleT_SA belong to a novel group of moderate halophilic P450 enzymes. OleT_JH from Jeotgalicoccus halophilus shows the decarboxylation activity, kinetic parameters, as well as salt tolerance and stability that are comparable to OleT_JE. Site-directed mutagenesis of several key amino acid residues near substrate-binding pocket provides important guidance for further engineering of these P450 fatty acid decarboxylases that hold promising application potential for production of α-olefin biohydrocarbons.

Spectroscopic studies of the cytochrome P450 reaction mechanisms

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are thiolate heme proteins that can, often under physiological conditions, catalyze many distinct oxidative transformations on a wide variety of molecules, including relatively simple alkanes or fatty acids, as well as more complex compounds such as steroids and exogenous pollutants. They perform such impressive chemistry utilizing a sophisticated catalytic cycle that involves a series of consecutive chemical transformations of heme prosthetic group. Each of these steps provides a unique spectral signature that reflects changes in oxidation or spin states, deformation of the porphyrin ring or alteration of dioxygen moieties. For a long time, the focus of cytochrome P450 research was to understand the underlying reaction mechanism of each enzymatic step, with the biggest challenge being identification and characterization of the powerful oxidizing intermediates. Spectroscopic methods, such as electronic absorption (UV-Vis), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), Mössbauer, X-ray absorption (XAS), and resonance Raman (rR), have been useful tools in providing multifaceted and detailed mechanistic insights into the biophysics and biochemistry of these fascinating enzymes. The combination of spectroscopic techniques with novel approaches, such as cryoreduction and Nanodisc technology, allowed for generation, trapping and characterizing long sought transient intermediates, a task that has been difficult to achieve using other methods. Results obtained from the UV-Vis, rR and EPR spectroscopies are the main focus of this review, while the remaining spectroscopic techniques are briefly summarized. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.

α-Oxidative decarboxylation of fatty acids catalysed by cytochrome P450 peroxygenases yielding shorter-alkyl-chain fatty acids

Shorter-alkyl-chain fatty acids such as tridecanoic acid or lauric acid were produced from myristic acid by CYP152 peroxygenases.

A Distal Loop Controls Product Release and Chemo- and Regioselectivity in Cytochrome P450 Decarboxylases

Cytochrome P450 OleT utilizes hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to catalyze the decarboxylation or hydroxylation of fatty acid (FA) substrates. Both reactions are initiated through the abstraction of a substrate hydrogen atom by the high-valent iron-oxo intermediate known as Compound I. Here, we specifically probe the influence of substrate coordination on OleT reaction partitioning through the combined use of fluorescent and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-active FA probes and mutagenesis of a structurally disordered F-G loop that is distal from the heme-iron active site. Both probes are efficiently metabolized by OleT and efficiently trigger the formation of Compound I. Transient fluorescence and EPR reveal a slow product release step, mediated by the F-G loop, that limits OleT turnover. A single-amino acid change or excision of the loop reveals that this region establishes critical interactions to anchor FA substrates in place. The stabilization afforded by the F-G loop is essential for regulating regiospecific C-H abstraction and allowing for efficient decarboxylation to occur. These results highlight a regulatory strategy whereby the fate of activated oxygen species can be controlled at distances far removed from the site of chemistry.

Enabling the synthesis of medium chain alkanes and 1-alkenes in yeast

Microbial synthesis of medium chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, attractive drop-in molecules to gasoline and jet fuels, is a promising way to reduce our reliance on petroleum-based fuels. In this study, we enabled the synthesis of straight chain hydrocarbons (C7-C13) by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae through engineering fatty acid synthases to control the chain length of fatty acids and introducing heterologous pathways for alkane or 1-alkene synthesis. We carried out enzyme engineering/screening of the fatty aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO), and compartmentalization of the alkane biosynthesis pathway into peroxisomes to improve alkane production. The two-step synthesis of alkanes was found to be inefficient due to the formation of alcohols derived from aldehyde intermediates. Alternatively, the drain of aldehyde intermediates could be circumvented by introducing a one-step decarboxylation of fatty acids to 1-alkenes, which could be synthesized at a level of 3mg/L, 25-fold higher than that of alkanes produced via aldehydes.

The Enigmatic P450 Decarboxylase OleT Is Capable of, but Evolved To Frustrate, Oxygen Rebound Chemistry

OleT is a cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyzes the removal of carbon dioxide from variable chain length fatty acids to form 1-alkenes. In this work, we examine the binding and metabolic profile of OleT with shorter chain length (n ≤ 12) fatty acids that can form liquid transportation fuels. Transient kinetics and product analyses confirm that OleT capably activates hydrogen peroxide with shorter substrates to form the high-valent intermediate Compound I and largely performs C-C bond scission. However, the enzyme also produces fatty alcohol side products using the high-valent iron oxo chemistry commonly associated with insertion of oxygen into hydrocarbons. When presented with a short chain fatty acid that can initiate the formation of Compound I, OleT oxidizes the diagnostic probe molecules norcarane and methylcyclopropane in a manner that is reminiscent of reactions of many CYP hydroxylases with radical clock substrates. These data are consistent with a decarboxylation mechanism in which Compound I abstracts a substrate hydrogen atom in the initial step. Positioning of the incipient substrate radical is a crucial element in controlling the efficiency of activated OH rebound.

Mutagenesis and redox partners analysis of the P450 fatty acid decarboxylase OleTJE

The cytochrome P450 enzyme OleT_JE from Jeotgalicoccus sp. ATCC 8456 is capable of converting free long-chain fatty acids into α-alkenes via one-step oxidative decarboxylation in presence of H₂O₂ as cofactor or using redox partner systems. This enzyme has attracted much attention due to its intriguing but unclear catalytic mechanism and potential application in biofuel production. Here, we investigated the functionality of a select group of residues (Arg245, Cys365, His85, and Ile170) in the active site of OleT_JE through extensive mutagenesis analysis. The key roles of these residues for catalytic activity and reaction type selectivity were identified. In addition, a range of heterologous redox partners were found to be able to efficiently support the decarboxylation activity of OleT_JE. The best combination turned out to be SeFdx-6 (ferredoxin) from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and CgFdR-2 (ferredoxin reductase) from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032, which gave the highest myristic acid conversion rate of 94.4%. Moreover, Michaelis-Menton kinetic parameters of OleT_JE towards myristic acid were determined.

Catalytic Determinants of Alkene Production by the Cytochrome P450 Peroxygenase OleTJE

The Jeotgalicoccus sp. peroxygenase cytochrome P450 OleT_JE (CYP152L1) is a hydrogen peroxide-driven oxidase that catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of fatty acids, producing terminal alkenes with applications as fine chemicals and biofuels. Understanding mechanisms that favor decarboxylation over fatty acid hydroxylation in OleT_JE could enable protein engineering to improve catalysis or to introduce decarboxylation activity into P450s with different substrate preferences. In this manuscript, we have focused on OleT_JE active site residues Phe⁷⁹, His⁸⁵, and Arg²⁴⁵ to interrogate their roles in substrate binding and catalytic activity. His⁸⁵ is a potential proton donor to reactive iron-oxo species during substrate decarboxylation. The H85Q mutant substitutes a glutamine found in several peroxygenases that favor fatty acid hydroxylation. H85Q OleT_JE still favors alkene production, suggesting alternative protonation mechanisms. However, the mutant undergoes only minor substrate binding-induced heme iron spin state shift toward high spin by comparison with WT OleT_JE, indicating the key role of His⁸⁵ in this process. Phe⁷⁹ interacts with His⁸⁵, and Phe⁷⁹ mutants showed diminished affinity for shorter chain (C10–C16) fatty acids and weak substrate-induced high spin conversion. F79A OleT_JE is least affected in substrate oxidation, whereas the F79W/Y mutants exhibit lower stability and cysteine thiolate protonation on reduction. Finally, Arg²⁴⁵ is crucial for binding the substrate carboxylate, and R245E/L mutations severely compromise activity and heme content, although alkene products are formed from some substrates, including stearic acid (C18:0). The results identify crucial roles for the active site amino acid trio in determining OleT_JE catalytic efficiency in alkene production and in regulating protein stability, heme iron coordination, and spin state.

In vitro oxidative decarboxylation of free fatty acids to terminal alkenes by two new P450 peroxygenases

BACKGROUND

P450 fatty acid decarboxylases represented by the unusual CYP152 peroxygenase family member OleT_JE have been receiving great attention recently since these P450 enzymes are able to catalyze the simple and direct production of 1-alkenes for potential applications in biofuels and biomaterials. To gain more mechanistic insights, broader substrate spectra, and improved decarboxylative activities, it is demanded to discover and investigate more P450 fatty acid decarboxylases.

RESULTS

Here, we describe for the first time the expression, purification, and in vitro biochemical characterization of two new CYP152 peroxygenases, CYP-Aa162 and CYP-Sm46Δ29, that are capable of decarboxylating straight-chain saturated fatty acids. Both enzymes were found to catalyze the decarboxylation and hydroxylation of a broad range of free fatty acids (C₁₀-C₂₀) with overlapping substrate specificity, yet distinct chemoselectivity. CYP-Sm46Δ29 works primarily as a fatty (lauric) acid decarboxylase (66.1 ± 3.9% 1-undecene production) while CYP-Aa162 more as a fatty (lauric) acid hydroxylase (72.2 ± 0.9% hydroxy lauric acid production). Notably, the optical spectroscopic analysis of functional CYP-Sm46Δ29 revealed no characteristic P450 band, suggesting a unique heme coordination environment. Active-site mutagenesis analysis showed that substitution with the proposed key decarboxylation-modulating residues, His85 and Ile170, enhanced the decarboxylation activity of CYP-Aa162 and P450_BSβ, emphasizing the importance of these residues in directing the decarboxylation pathway. Furthermore, the steady-state kinetic analysis of CYP-Aa162 and CYP-Sm46Δ29 revealed both cooperative and substrate inhibition behaviors which are substrate carbon chain length dependent.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data identify CYP-Sm46Δ29 as an efficient OleT_JE-like fatty acid decarboxylase. Oxidative decarboxylation chemoselectivity of the CYP152 decarboxylases is largely dependent upon the carbon chain length of fatty acid substrates and their precise positioning in the enzyme active site. Finally, the kinetic mode analysis of the enzymes could provide important guidance for future process design.

Expansion of chemical space for natural products by uncommon P450 reactions

This review focuses on unusual P450 reactions related to new chemistry, skeleton construction, structure re-shaping, and protein–protein interactions in natural product biosynthesis, which play significant roles in chemical space expansion for natural products.

Catalytic strategy for carbon-carbon bond scission by the cytochrome P450 OleT

OleT is a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the hydrogen peroxide-dependent metabolism of Cn chain-length fatty acids to synthesize Cn-1 1-alkenes. The decarboxylation reaction provides a route for the production of drop-in hydrocarbon fuels from a renewable and abundant natural resource. This transformation is highly unusual for a P450, which typically uses an Fe(4+)-oxo intermediate known as compound I for the insertion of oxygen into organic substrates. OleT, previously shown to form compound I, catalyzes a different reaction. A large substrate kinetic isotope effect (≥8) for OleT compound I decay confirms that, like monooxygenation, alkene formation is initiated by substrate C-H bond abstraction. Rather than finalizing the reaction through rapid oxygen rebound, alkene synthesis proceeds through the formation of a reaction cycle intermediate with kinetics, optical properties, and reactivity indicative of an Fe(4+)-OH species, compound II. The direct observation of this intermediate, normally fleeting in hydroxylases, provides a rationale for the carbon-carbon scission reaction catalyzed by OleT.