Benzylsuccinate synthase
In enzymology, a benzylsuccinate synthase (EC 4.1.99.11) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
- toluene + fumarate benzylsuccinate
| benzylsuccinate synthase | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||||
| EC no. | 4.1.99.11 | ||||||||
| Databases | |||||||||
| IntEnz | IntEnz view | ||||||||
| BRENDA | BRENDA entry | ||||||||
| ExPASy | NiceZyme view | ||||||||
| KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
| MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
| PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
| PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
| Gene Ontology | AmiGO / QuickGO | ||||||||
| |||||||||
This enzyme catalyses a radical-type addition of toluene and fumarate as substrates to generate (R)-benzylsuccinate as product, the first step of anaerobic toluene degradation.
This enzyme belongs to the family of glycyl-radical enzymes and is listed under the enzyme commission category of lyases, specifically in the "catch-all" class of carbon-carbon lyases. The systematic name of this enzyme class is benzylsuccinate fumarate-lyase (toluene-forming). This enzyme is also called benzylsuccinate fumarate-lyase, although it does not catalyse the cleavage of benzylsuccinate. This enzyme participates in feeding toluene into the pathway of benzoate degradation via CoA ligation.
As a result of its intrinsic function, its sequence is being used as a gene marker when studying anoxic toluene contamination sites for active degradation[1]
References
- Winderl C, Schaefer S, Lueders T (2007). "Detection of anaerobic toluene and hydrocarbon degraders in contaminated aquifers using benzylsuccinate synthase (bssA) genes as a functional marker". Environ Microbiol. 9 (4): 1035–46. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01230.x.
- Beller HR, Spormann AM (1998). "Analysis of the novel benzylsuccinate synthase reaction for anaerobic toluene activation based on structural studies of the product". J. Bacteriol. 180 (20): 5454–7. PMC 107597. PMID 9765580.
- Leuthner B, Leutwein C, Schulz H, Hörth P, Haehnel W, Schägger H, Heider J (1998). "Biochemical and genetic characterization of benzylsuccinate synthase from Thauera aromatica: a new glycyl radical enzyme catalysing the first step in anaerobic toluene metabolism". Mol. Microbiol. 28 (3): 615–28. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.1998.00826.x. PMID 9632263.