title: Cytochrome P450: taming a wild type enzyme.
abstract: Protein engineering of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) has been very successful in generating valuable non-natural activities and properties, allowing these powerful catalysts to be used for the synthesis of drug metabolites and in biosynthetic pathways for the production of precursors of artemisinin and paclitaxel. Collected experience indicates that the P450s are highly 'evolvable' - they are particularly robust to mutation in their active sites and readily accept new substrates and exhibit new selectivities. Their ability to adapt to new challenges upon mutation may reflect the nonpolar nature of their active sites as well as their high degree of conformational variability.
authors.affiliation: Divison of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 210-41, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Sang Taek
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lauchli
authors.forename: Frances H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015202:Protein Engineering
chemical_list: D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System