Exploring the Biocatalytic Potential of Fe/α-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Halogenases

Freestanding Fe/alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent halogenases are oxidoreductases that catalyze the installation of halogen atoms into unactivated sp(3)-hybridized carbon centers with high stereo- and regioselectivity. Since their discovery in 2014, a small number of indole alkaloid and amino acid halogenases have been identified and characterized. First enzyme engineering examples suggest that the accessible substrate range of these enzymes may be expanded through the use of rational enzyme design and directed evolution. Structural investigations of non-heme iron halogenases acting on freestanding as well as tethered substrates are beginning to inform about the principles of the underlying halogenation mechanism.