Using Small Molecules to Enhance P450 OleT Enzyme Activity in Situ.

Cytochrome P450 OleT is a fatty acid decarboxylase that catalyzes the production of olefins with biofuel and synthetic applications. However, the relatively sluggish catalytic efficiency of the enzyme limits its applications. Here, we report the application of a novel class of benzene containing small molecules to improve the OleT activity. The UV-Vis spectroscopy study and molecular docking results confirmed the high proximity of the small molecules to the heme group of OleT. Up to 6-fold increase of product yield has been achieved in the small molecule-modulated enzymatic reactions. Our work thus sheds the light to the application of small molecules to increase the OleT catalytic efficiency, which could be potentially used for future olefin productions.