Protein engineering of toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 for enhanced chlorinated ethene degradation and o-xylene oxidation

Toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 has been shown to degrade all chlorinated ethenes individually and as mixtures. Here, DNA shuffling of the alpha hydroxylase fragment of ToMO (TouA) and saturation mutagenesis of the TouA active site residues I100, Q141, T201, F205, and E214 were used to enhance the degradation of chlorinated aliphatics. The ToMO mutants were identified using a chloride ion screen and then were further examined by gas chromatography. Escherichia coli TG1/pBS(Kan)ToMO expressing TouA saturation mutagenesis variant I100Q was identified that has 2.8-fold better trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation activity (apparent Vmax of 1.77 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein−1 vs 0.63 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein−1). Another variant, E214G/D312N/M399V, has 2.5-fold better cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE) degradation activity (apparent Vmax of 8.4 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein−1 vs 3.3 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein−1). Additionally, the hydroxylation regiospecificity of o-xylene and naphthalene were altered significantly for ToMO variants A107T/E214A, T201G, and T201S. Variant T201S produced 2.0-fold more 2,3-dimethylphenol (2,3-DMP) from o-xylene than the wild-type ToMO, whereas variant A107T/E214A had 6.0-fold altered regiospecificity for 2,3-DMP formation. Variant A107T/E214A also produced 3.0-fold more 2-naphthol from naphthalene than the wild-type ToMO, whereas the regiospecificity of variant T201S was altered to synthesize 3.0-fold less 2-naphthol, so that it made almost exclusively 1-naphthol (96%). Variant T201G was more regiospecific than variants A107T/E214A and T201S and produced 100% 3,4-DMP from o-xylene and >99% 1-naphthol from naphthalene. Hence, ToMO activity was enhanced for the degradation of TCE and cis-DCE and for the regiospecific hydroxylation of o-xylene and naphthalene through DNA shuffling and saturation mutagenesis.