Discovery of Novel Bacterial Chalcone Isomerases by a Sequence-Structure-Function-Evolution Strategy for Enzymatic Synthesis of (S)-Flavanones.

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. The first bacterial CHI (CHI ) was identified from Eubacterium ramulus, but its distribution, evolutionary source, substrate scope, and stereoselectivity are still unclear. Here, we describe the identification of 66 novel bacterial CHIs from Genbank using a novel Sequence-Structure-Function-Evolution (SSFE) strategy.

Biotechnological Production of Methyl-Branched Aldehydes.

A number of methyl-branched aldehydes impart interesting flavor impressions, and especially 12-methyltridecanal is a highly sought after flavoring compound for savory foods. Its smell is reminiscent of cooked meat and tallow. For the biotechnological production of 12-methyltridecanal, the literature was screened for fungi forming iso-fatty acids.

Enzymatic conversion of flavonoids using bacterial chalcone isomerase and enoate reductase.

Flavonoids are a large group of plant secondary metabolites with a variety of biological properties and are therefore of interest to many scientists, as they can lead to industrially interesting intermediates. The anaerobic gut bacterium Eubacterium ramulus can catabolize flavonoids, but until now, the pathway has not been experimentally confirmed. In the present work, a chalcone isomerase (CHI) and an enoate reductase (ERED) could be identified through whole genome sequencing and gene motif search.