Production of hydroxy fatty acids by microbial fatty acid-hydroxylation enzymes

• Published in: Biotechnology advances 2013-12, Vol.31 (8), p.1473-1485
• Main Authors: Kim, Kyoung-Rok, Oh, Deok-Kun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 12-Hydroxylase; additives; antibiotics; antineoplastic agents; Bioconversions. Hemisynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Biotransformation; Diol synthase; emulsifiers; Fatty Acids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genes; Hydratase; Hydroxy fatty acid; hydroxy fatty acids; Lipoxygenase; Lipoxygenases; lubricants; manufacturing; Metabolic Engineering; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Mixed Function Oxygenases; P450; polymers; protein engineering; screening; stabilizers
• ISSN: 0734-9750; 1873-1899
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.07.004

Hydroxy fatty acids are widely used in chemical, food, and cosmetic industries as starting materials for the synthesis of polymers and as additives for the manufacture of lubricants, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. They have antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities and therefore can be applied for medicinal uses. Microbial fatty acid-hydroxylation enzymes, including P450, lipoxygenase, hydratase, 12-hydroxylase, and diol synthase, synthesize regio-specific hydroxy fatty acids. In this article, microbial fatty acid-hydroxylation enzymes, with a focus on region-specificity and diversity, are summarized and the production of mono-, di-, and tri-hydroxy fatty acids is introduced. Finally, the production methods of regio-specific and diverse hydroxy fatty acids, such as gene screening, protein engineering, metabolic engineering, and combinatory biosynthesis, are suggested. •Fatty acid-hydroxylation enzymes synthesize regio-specific hydroxy fatty acids.•Fatty acid mono- and di-hydroxylation enzymes from microorganisms are reviewed.•The methods for the production of diverse hydroxy fatty acids are suggested.