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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Identification of Fatty Acids in Bacillus cereus
Published on: December 5, 2016
Cavity-Based Discovery of New Fatty Acid Photodecarboxylases
Stefan Simić1, Marco Cespugli2, Michael C Hetmann2
1Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 28, 8010, Graz, Austria.
None:
Light-dependent fatty acid photodecarboxylases (FAPs) hold significant potential for biotechnology, due to their capability to produce alka(e)nes directly from the corresponding (un)saturated natural fatty acids requiring light as the only reagent. This study expands the family of FAPs through cavity-based enzyme discovery methods. Thirty enzyme candidates with potential photodecarboxylation activity were identified by matching the cavities of four related template structures against the Protein Data Bank's flavoproteins, a library of proteins identified via the Foldseek Search Server, and homology models of sequences resulting from BLAST. Subsequent docking experiments narrowed this library to ten promising enzymes, which were expressed and assessed in vitro, identifying four photodecarboxylases. Out of these enzymes, the GMC oxidoreductase from Coccomyxa sp. Obi (CoFAP) was characterized in detail, which revealed high activity in the decarboxylation reactions of palmitic acid and octanoic acid and a broad pH tolerance (pH 6.5-9.5).
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