Biocatalytic conversion of avermectin to 4″-oxo-avermectin: Characterization of biocatalytically active bacterial strains and of cytochrome p450 monooxygenase enzymes and their genes

Volker Jungmann, István Molnár, Philip E. Hammer, D. Steven Hill, Ross Zirkle, Thomas G. Buckel, Dagmar Buckel, James M. Ligon, J. Paul Pachlatko

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

4″-Oxo-avermectin is a key intermediate in the manufacture of the agriculturally important insecticide emamectin benzoate from the natural product avermectin. Seventeen biocatalytically active Streptomyces strains with the ability to oxidize avermectin to 4″-oxo-avermectin in a regioselective manner have been discovered in a screen of 3,334 microorganisms. The enzymes responsible for this oxidation reaction in these biocatalytically active strains were found to be cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) and were termed Ema1 to Ema17. The genes for Ema1 to Ema17 have been cloned, sequenced, and compared to reveal a new subfamily of CYPs. Ema1 to Ema16 have been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified as His-tagged recombinant proteins, and their basic enzyme kinetic parameters have been determined.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)6968-6976
Number of pages9
JournalApplied and environmental microbiology
Volume71
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2005

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Food Science
  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Ecology

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