Crystal structures of Xanthomonas campestris OleA reveal features that promote head-to-head condensation of two long-chain fatty acids.

OleA is a thiolase superfamily enzyme that has been shown to catalyze the condensation of two long-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) substrates. The enzyme is part of a larger gene cluster responsible for generating long-chain olefin products, a potential biofuel precursor. In thiolase superfamily enzymes, catalysis is achieved via a ping-pong mechanism.

Purification and characterization of OleA from Xanthomonas campestris and demonstration of a non-decarboxylative Claisen condensation reaction.

OleA catalyzes the condensation of fatty acyl groups in the first step of bacterial long-chain olefin biosynthesis, but the mechanism of the condensation reaction is controversial. In this study, OleA from Xanthomonas campestris was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified protein was shown to be active with fatty acyl-CoA substrates that ranged from C(8) to C(16) in length.

Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction of the OleC protein from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia involved in head-to-head hydrocarbon biosynthesis.

OleC, a biosynthetic enzyme involved in microbial hydrocarbon biosynthesis, has been crystallized. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 3.4 A resolution.

C29 olefinic hydrocarbons biosynthesized by Arthrobacter species.

Arthrobacter aurescens TC1, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6, Arthrobacter crystallopoietes, and Arthrobacter oxydans produce long-chain monoalkenes, predominantly cis-3,25-dimethyl-13-heptacosene. Four other Arthrobacter strains did not form alkenes. The level of cis-3,25-dimethyl-13-heptacosene in Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 remained proportional to cell mass during growth.

Genomic and biochemical studies demonstrating the absence of an alkane-producing phenotype in Vibrio furnissii M1.

Vibrio furnissii M1 was recently reported to biosynthesize n-alkanes when grown on biopolymers, sugars, or organic acids (M. O. Park, J.