title: Synthesis of short-chain diols and unsaturated alcohols from secondary alcohol substrates by the Rieske nonheme mononuclear iron oxygenase MdpJ.
abstract: The Rieske nonheme mononuclear iron oxygenase MdpJ of the fuel oxygenate-degrading bacterial strain Aquincola tertiaricarbonis L108 has been described to attack short-chain tertiary alcohols via hydroxylation and desaturation reactions. Here, we demonstrate that also short-chain secondary alcohols can be transformed by MdpJ. Wild-type cells of strain L108 converted 2-propanol and 2-butanol to 1,2-propanediol and 3-buten-2-ol, respectively, whereas an mdpJ knockout mutant did not show such activity. In addition, wild-type cells converted 3-methyl-2-butanol and 3-pentanol to the corresponding desaturation products 3-methyl-3-buten-2-ol and 1-penten-3-ol, respectively. The enzymatic hydroxylation of 2-propanol resulted in an enantiomeric excess of about 70% for the (R)-enantiomer, indicating that this reaction was favored. Likewise, desaturation of (R)-2-butanol to 3-buten-2-ol was about 2.3-fold faster than conversion of the (S)-enantiomer. The biotechnological potential of MdpJ for the synthesis of enantiopure short-chain alcohols and diols as building block chemicals is discussed.
authors: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Franziska
authors: F
authors: Schäfer
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Schuster
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Würz
authors: Claus
authors: C
authors: Härtig
authors: Hauke
authors: H
authors: Harms
authors: Roland H
authors: RH
authors: Müller
authors: Thore
authors: T
authors: Rohwerder
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D001711:Biotransformation; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006900:Hydroxylation; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; C037989:Rieske iron-sulfur protein; D010105:Oxygenases; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III