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Enabling microbial syringol conversion through structure-guided protein engineering.

Melodie M Machovina1, Sam J B Mallinson2, Brandon C Knott3

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

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|June 26, 2019
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers engineered a cytochrome P450 system, GcoAB, to efficiently demethylate syringol, a key lignin component. This breakthrough enables microbial utilization of sinapyl alcohol-derived lignin for bioproducts.

Keywords:
P450biorefinerydemethylaselignin

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Lignin valorization via microbial conversion of aromatic compounds is a promising strategy.
  • O-aryl-demethylation is a critical step in aromatic catabolism, converting methoxy groups in lignin to diols for further processing.
  • The cytochrome P450 system GcoAB can demethylate guaiacol but not syringol, limiting the microbial breakdown of sinapyl alcohol-derived lignin.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer the GcoAB system for efficient syringol O-demethylation.
  • To enable microbial utilization of syringol, a component derived from sinapyl alcohol-based lignin.
  • To investigate the structural basis for syringol binding and demethylation by engineered GcoAB.

Main Methods:

  • Structure-guided protein engineering of the GcoAB system.
  • Site-directed mutagenesis of a phenylalanine residue (GcoA-F169) in the GcoAB active site.
  • Crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations to analyze protein-ligand interactions.
  • In vivo syringol turnover assays in *Pseudomonas putida* KT2440.

Main Results:

  • Mutation of GcoA-F169 to smaller amino acids, such as alanine (GcoA-F169A), resulted in efficient syringol O-demethylation.
  • Crystallography revealed a productive binding pose of syringol in the engineered variant.
  • Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the mutation eliminated steric clashes, facilitating syringol binding.
  • The engineered GcoA-F169A variant demonstrated in vivo syringol turnover in *Pseudomonas putida*.

Conclusions:

  • Protein engineering can enhance the substrate specificity of cytochrome P450 enzymes for lignin valorization.
  • The engineered GcoAB system enables microbial catabolism of syringol, opening pathways for sinapyl alcohol-derived lignin utilization.
  • Cytochrome P450 aromatic O-demethylases show significant potential and plasticity for biological conversion of lignin-derived compounds.