Photoenzymatic Decarboxylation to Produce Hydrocarbon Fuels: A Critical Review

Overview

Journal Mol Biotechnol

Publisher Springer

Specialties Biotechnology
Molecular Biology

Date 2023 Jun 22

PMID 37349610

Authors

Yaqi Sui

Xiaobo Guo

Rui Zhou

Zhisong Fu

Yingxin Chai

Ao Xia

Wenhui Zhao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Photoenzymatic decarboxylation shows great promise as a pathway for the generation of hydrocarbon fuels. CvFAP, which is derived from Chlorella variabilis NC64A, is a photodecarboxylase capable of converting fatty acids into hydrocarbons. CvFAP is an example of coupling biocatalysis and photocatalysis to produce alkanes. The catalytic process is mild, and it does not yield toxic substances or excess by-products. However, the activity of CvFAP can be readily inhibited by several factors, and further enhancement is required to improve the enzyme yield and stability. In this article, we will examine the latest advancements in CvFAP research, with a particular focus on the enzyme's structural and catalytic mechanism, summarized some limitations in the application of CvFAP, and laboratory-level methods for enhancing enzyme activity and stability. This review can serve as a reference for future large-scale industrial production of hydrocarbon fuels.

Citing Articles

Protein-Driven Electron-Transfer Process in a Fatty Acid Photodecarboxylase.

Londi G, Salvadori G, Mazzeo P, Cupellini L, Mennucci B JACS Au. 2025; 5(1):158-168.

PMID: 39886566 PMC: 11775712. DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00853.

Decarboxylation in Natural Products Biosynthesis.

Nguyen N, Forstater J, McIntosh J JACS Au. 2024; 4(8):2715-2745.

PMID: 39211618 PMC: 11350588. DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00425.

References

Bhatia S, Gurav R, Choi T, Kim H, Yang S, Song H . Conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel using heterogenous catalyst derived from cork biochar. Bioresour Technol. 2020; 302:122872. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122872. View

Huijbers M, Zhang W, Tonin F, Hollmann F . Light-Driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation of Fatty Acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2018; 57(41):13648-13651. PMC: 6197046. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201807119. View

Liu H, Cheng T, Xian M, Cao Y, Fang F, Zou H . Fatty acid from the renewable sources: a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels and biobased chemicals. Biotechnol Adv. 2013; 32(2):382-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.12.003. View

Wu J, Shi J, Fu J, Leidl J, Hou Z, Lu X . Catalytic Decarboxylation of Fatty Acids to Aviation Fuels over Nickel Supported on Activated Carbon. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:27820. PMC: 4904414. DOI: 10.1038/srep27820. View

Bornscheuer U, Huisman G, Kazlauskas R, Lutz S, Moore J, Robins K . Engineering the third wave of biocatalysis. Nature. 2012; 485(7397):185-94. DOI: 10.1038/nature11117. View

Zhang C, Liu Y, Li C, Xu Y, Su Y, Li J . Significant improvement in catalytic activity and enantioselectivity of a Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase, PvEH3, towards ortho-cresyl glycidyl ether based on the semi-rational design. Sci Rep. 2020; 10(1):1680. PMC: 6997370. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58693-1. View

Yoshii T, Hermann-Luibl C, Kistenpfennig C, Schmid B, Tomioka K, Helfrich-Forster C . Cryptochrome-dependent and -independent circadian entrainment circuits in Drosophila. J Neurosci. 2015; 35(15):6131-41. PMC: 6605168. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0070-15.2015. View

Greenham K, McClung C . Integrating circadian dynamics with physiological processes in plants. Nat Rev Genet. 2015; 16(10):598-610. DOI: 10.1038/nrg3976. View

Fuller K, Loros J, Dunlap J . Fungal photobiology: visible light as a signal for stress, space and time. Curr Genet. 2014; 61(3):275-88. PMC: 4401583. DOI: 10.1007/s00294-014-0451-0. View

10.

Sancar A . Mechanisms of DNA Repair by Photolyase and Excision Nuclease (Nobel Lecture). Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2016; 55(30):8502-27. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201601524. View

11.

Gabruk M, Mysliwa-Kurdziel B . Light-Dependent Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase: Phylogeny, Regulation, and Catalytic Properties. Biochemistry. 2015; 54(34):5255-62. DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00704. View

12.

Ho M, Shen G, Canniffe D, Zhao C, Bryant D . Light-dependent chlorophyll f synthase is a highly divergent paralog of PsbA of photosystem II. Science. 2016; 353(6302). DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf9178. View

13.

Sorigue D, Legeret B, Cuine S, Blangy S, Moulin S, Billon E . An algal photoenzyme converts fatty acids to hydrocarbons. Science. 2017; 357(6354):903-907. DOI: 10.1126/science.aan6349. View

14.

Zheng D, Zhang Y, Liu X, Wang J . Coupling natural systems with synthetic chemistry for light-driven enzymatic biocatalysis. Photosynth Res. 2019; 143(2):221-231. DOI: 10.1007/s11120-019-00660-7. View

15.

Guo X, Xia A, Zhang W, Huang Y, Zhu X, Zhu X . Photoenzymatic decarboxylation: A promising way to produce sustainable aviation fuels and fine chemicals. Bioresour Technol. 2022; 367:128232. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128232. View

16.

Sorigue D, Hadjidemetriou K, Blangy S, Gotthard G, Bonvalet A, Coquelle N . Mechanism and dynamics of fatty acid photodecarboxylase. Science. 2021; 372(6538). DOI: 10.1126/science.abd5687. View

17.

Zhou D, Mattner J, Cantu 3rd C, Schrantz N, Yin N, Gao Y . Lysosomal glycosphingolipid recognition by NKT cells. Science. 2004; 306(5702):1786-9. DOI: 10.1126/science.1103440. View

18.

Rohr A, Hersleth H, Andersson K . Tracking flavin conformations in protein crystal structures with Raman spectroscopy and QM/MM calculations. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2010; 49(13):2324-7. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200907143. View

19.

Rude M, Baron T, Brubaker S, Alibhai M, del Cardayre S, Schirmer A . Terminal olefin (1-alkene) biosynthesis by a novel p450 fatty acid decarboxylase from Jeotgalicoccus species. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011; 77(5):1718-27. PMC: 3067255. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02580-10. View

20.

Rui Z, Li X, Zhu X, Liu J, Domigan B, Barr I . Microbial biosynthesis of medium-chain 1-alkenes by a nonheme iron oxidase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014; 111(51):18237-42. PMC: 4280606. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1419701112. View