ABSTRACT
Thiolases catalyze the condensation of acyl-CoA thioesters through the Claisen condensation reaction. The best described enzymes usually yield linear condensation products. Using a combined computational/experimental approach, and guided by structural information, we have studied the potential of thiolases to synthesize branched compounds. We have identified a bulky residue located at the active site that blocks proper accommodation of substrates longer than acetyl-CoA. Amino acid replacements at such a position exert effects on the activity and product selectivity of the enzymes that are highly dependent on a protein scaffold. Among the set of five thiolases studied, Erg10 thiolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed no acetyl-CoA/butyryl-CoA branched condensation activity, but variants at position F293 resulted the most active and selective biocatalysts for this reaction. This is the first time that a thiolase has been engineered to synthesize branched compounds. These novel enzymes enrich the toolbox of combinatorial (bio)chemistry, paving the way for manufacturing a variety of α-substituted synthons. As a proof of concept, we have engineered Clostridium's 1-butanol pathway to obtain 2-ethyl-1-butanol, an alcohol that is interesting as a branched model compound.
Subject(s)
Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase/metabolism , Acyl Coenzyme A/metabolism , Hexanols/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase/chemistry , Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase/genetics , Catalytic Domain , Metabolic Networks and Pathways , Models, Molecular , Protein Engineering/methods , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/chemistry , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/chemistry , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
Unnatural selection: A fungal laccase was tailored by directed evolution to be active at neutral/alkaline pH. After five generations, the final mutant showed a broader pH profile while retaining 50 to 80 % of its activity at neutral pH.