Reaction: a long-chain aldehyde + O2 + 2 NADPH + 2 H+ = an alkane + formate + H2O + 2 NADP+
Glossary: a long-chain aldehyde = an aldehyde derived from a fatty acid with an aliphatic chain of 13-22 carbons.
Other name(s): decarbonylase; aldehyde decarbonylase; octadecanal decarbonylase
Systematic name: octadecanal alkane-lyase
Comments: Contains a diiron center. Involved in the biosynthesis of alkanes. The enzyme from the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 is only active in vitro in the presence of ferredoxin, ferredoxin reductase and NADPH, and produces mostly C15 and C17 alkanes [2,3]. The enzyme from pea (Pisum sativum) produces alkanes of chain length C18 to C32 and is inhibited by metal-chelating agents [1]. The substrate for this enzyme is formed by EC 1.2.1.80, acyl-[acyl-carrier protein] reductase.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 94185-90-7
References:
1. Cheesbrough, T.M. and, K olattukudy, P.E. Alkane biosynthesis by decarbonylation of aldehydes catalyzed by a particulate preparation from Pisum sativum. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81 (1984) 6613-6617. [PMID: 6593720]
2. Schirmer, A., Rude, M.A., Li, X., Popova, E. and del Cardayre, S.B. Microbial biosynthesis of alkanes. Science 329 (2010) 559-562. [PMID: 20671186]
3. Warui, D.M., Li, N., Nørgaard, H., Krebs, C., Bollinger, J.M. and Booker, S.J. Detection of formate, rather than carbon monoxide, as the stoichiometric coproduct in conversion of fatty aldehydes to alkanes by a cyanobacterial aldehyde decarbonylase. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133 (2011) 3316-3319. [PMID: 21341652]
4. Li, N., Chang, W.C., Warui, D.M., Booker, S.J., Krebs, C. and Bollinger, J.M., Jr. Evidence for only oxygenative cleavage of aldehydes to alk(a/e)nes and formate by cyanobacterial aldehyde decarbonylases. Biochemistry 51 (2012) 7908-7916. [PMID: 22947199]