Our biotransformation using Escherichia coli expressing a cytochrome P450 (CYP) belonging to the CYP153A family from Acinetobacter sp. OC4 produced a great amount of 1-octanol (2,250 mg per liter) from n-octane after 24 h of incubation. This level of production is equivalent to the maximum level previously achieved in biotransformation experiments of alkanes. In addition, the initial production rate of 1-octanol was maintained throughout the entire incubation period. These results indicate that we have achieved the functional and stable expression of a CYP in E. coli for the first time. Further, our biotransformation system showed alpha,omega-diterminal oxidation activity of n-alkanes, and a large amount of 1,8-octanediol (722 mg per liter) was produced from 1-octanol after 24 h of incubation. This is the first report on the bioproduction of alpha,omega-alkanediols from n-alkanes or 1-alkanols.

Bcl-2 confers protection to human hepatoma cells against Fas-mediated apoptosis, and is essential for survival of some, but not all, hepatoma cells.

Two vectors, pT7NScamAB and pRED, have been used for the functional expression of bacterial class I cytochrome P450 (P450) genes in Escherichia coli, which utilize putidaredoxin reductase (CamA) and putidaredoxin (CamB), and the reductase domain of a self-sufficient P450RhF respectively, for electron transfer from NAD(P)H to a P450 protein. We here compared the efficiency of bioconversion with the two vectors towards n-octane, cyclohexane, n-butylbenzene, and 2-n-butylbenzofuran using two well-characterized CYP153A genes, aciA and CYP153A13a (P450balk). As for n-octane bioconversion, aciA and pT7camAB was the best combination for the production of 1-octanol and 1,8-octanediol. As for the bioconversion of cyclohexane, n-butylbenzene and 2-n-butylbenzofuran, CYP153A13a with pRED achieved the most efficient bioconversion, as compared by conversion ratio per active CYP153A protein content. It was also found that 2-n-butylbenzofuran is biotransformed into 4-benzofuran-2-yl-butyric acid via 4-benzofuran-2-yl-butan-1-ol with E. coli cells expressing CYP153A.

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