Enzyme engineering of O₂-dependent enzymes, such as oxidases and oxygenases, is crucial to increase their relevance in the chemical industry. Recently published studies will focus on optimising various aspects of O₂-dependent enzymes like activity, selectivity, specificity, substrate spectrum or stability by applying different enzyme engineering studies.

Abstract

Oxidation reactions catalysed by O₂-dependent enzymes are gaining increasing interest in the chemical industry due to their potential to provide a more selective and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical oxidation methods. O₂-dependent enzymes, like oxidases and oxygenases, catalyse a versatile range of oxidative reactions using only molecular oxygen as an oxidant. However, their practical application on a larger scale has been limited up to this point, primarily due to factors like their low catalytic rates combined with a narrow substrate spectrum and low stability. Nonetheless, enzyme engineering studies have significantly addressed these challenges in recent years and moved O₂-dependent enzymes closer towards industrial utilisation. This review aims to concisely overview the most recent engineering approaches to O₂-dependent enzymes. We will highlight recent studies that have targeted various aspects of O₂-dependent enzymes, including activity, selectivity, stability, and substrate spectrum, focusing on engineering studies where the engineered enzymes catalysed synthetically valuable reactions.