Rational re-design of the substrate binding site of flavocytochrome P450 BM3

Bacillus megaterium P450 BM3 is a fatty acid hydroxylase with selectivity for long chain substrates (C(12)-C(20)). Binding or activity with substrates of chain length 13-fold with butyrate, while the L75T/L181K double mutant has k(cat)/K(M) increased >15-fold with hexanoate and binding (K(d)) improved >28-fold for butyrate. Removing the arginine 47/lysine 51 carboxylate binding motif at the mouth of the active site disfavours binding of all fatty acids, indicating its importance in the initial recognition of substrates.