Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology

Cytochromes P450 (P450 or CYP) are heme-containing enzymes that catalyze the introduction of one atom of molecular oxygen into nonactivated C-H bonds, often in a regio- and stereoselective manner. This ability, combined with a tremendous number of accepted substrates, makes P450s powerful biocatalysts. Sixty years after their discovery, P450 systems are recognized as essential bio-bricks in synthetic biology approaches to enable production of high-value complex molecules in recombinant hosts. Recent impressive results in protein engineering led to P450s with tailored properties that are even able to catalyze abiotic reactions. The introduction of P450s in artificial multi-enzymatic cascades reactions and chemo-enzymatic processes offers exciting future perspectives to access novel compounds that cannot be synthesized by nature or by chemical routes.

Jumpstarting the cytochrome P450 catalytic cycle with a hydrated electron

Cytochrome P450cam (CYP101Fe³⁺) regioselectively hydroxylates camphor. Possible hydroxylating intermediates in the catalytic cycle of this well-characterized enzyme have been proposed on the basis of experiments carried out at very low temperatures and shunt reactions, but their presence has not yet been validated at temperatures above 0 °C during a normal catalytic cycle. Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to mimic the natural catalytic cycle of CYP101Fe³⁺ by using pulse radiolysis to rapidly supply the second electron of the catalytic cycle to camphor-bound CYP101[FeO₂]²⁺ Judging by the appearance of an absorbance maximum at 440 nm, we conclude that CYP101[FeOOH]²⁺ (compound 0) accumulates within 5 μs and decays rapidly to CYP101Fe³⁺, with a k_{440 nm} of 9.6 × 10⁴ s^-1 All processes are complete within 40 μs at 4 °C. Importantly, no transient absorbance bands could be assigned to CYP101[FeO²⁺por^•+] (compound 1) or CYP101[FeO²⁺] (compound 2). However, indirect evidence for the involvement of compound 1 was obtained from the kinetics of formation and decay of a tyrosyl radical. 5-Hydroxycamphor was formed quantitatively, and the catalytic activity of the enzyme was not impaired by exposure to radiation during the pulse radiolysis experiment. The rapid decay of compound 0 enabled calculation of the limits for the Gibbs activation energies for the conversions of compound 0 → compound 1 → compound 2 → CYP101Fe³⁺, yielding a ΔG^‡ of 45, 39, and 39 kJ/mol, respectively. At 37 °C, the steps from compound 0 to the iron(III) state would take only 4 μs. Our kinetics studies at 4 °C complement the canonical mechanism by adding the dimension of time.

Effect of Additives on the Selectivity and Reactivity of Enzymes

Enzymes have been widely used as efficient, eco-friendly, and biodegradable catalysts in organic chemistry due to their mild reaction conditions and high selectivity and efficiency. In recent years, the catalytic promiscuity of many enzymes in unnatural reactions has been revealed and studied by chemists and biochemists, which has expanded the application potential of enzymes. To enhance the selectivity and activity of enzymes in their natural or promiscuous reactions, many methods have been recommended, such as protein engineering, process engineering, and media engineering. Among them, the additive approach is very attractive because of its simplicity to use and high efficiency. In this paper, we will review the recent developments about the applications of additives to improve the catalytic performances of enzymes in their natural and promiscuous reactions. These additives include water, organic bases, water mimics, cosolvents, crown ethers, salts, surfactants, and some particular molecular additives.