Kinetic and sequence-structure-function analysis of LinB enzyme variants with β- and δ-hexachlorocyclohexane

Organochlorine insecticide hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) has recently been classified as a 'Persistent Organic pollutant' by the Stockholm Convention. The LinB haloalkane dehalogenase is a key upstream enzyme in the recently evolved Lin pathway for the catabolism of HCH in bacteria. Here we report a sequence-structure-function analysis of ten naturally occurring and thirteen synthetic mutants of LinB. One of the synthetic mutants was found to have ∼80 fold more activity for β- and δ-hexachlorocyclohexane. Based on detailed biophysical calculations, molecular dynamics and ensemble docking calculations, we propose that the latter variant is more active because of alterations to the shape of its active site and increased conformational plasticity.