Styrene monooxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. LQ26 catalyzes the asymmetric epoxidation of both conjugated and unconjugated alkenes

A novel styrene monooxygenase (SMO) was isolated from Pseudomonas sp. LQ26, a styrene degrader from activated sludge. Sequence alignment demonstrated that it was the most distant member of all SMOs originating from the genus of Pseudomonas. The substrate spectrum of this enzyme extended beyond typical SMO substrates to 1-allylbenzene analogues, previously reported as non-substrates for the SMO from Pseudomonas fluorescens ST. The results demonstrate for the first time the asymmetric epoxidation of both conjugated and unconjugated alkenes catalyzed by SMO and suggest that a much broader substrate spectrum is expected for SMOs.