Catalysis by Nature's photoenzymes

Photoenzymes use light to initiate biochemical reactions. Although rarely found in nature, their study has advanced understanding of how light energy can be harnessed to facilitate enzyme catalysis, which is also of importance to the design and engineering of man-made photocatalysts. Natural photoen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current opinion in structural biology 2022-12, Vol.77, p.102491-102491, Article 102491
Main Authors: Taylor, Aoife, Heyes, Derren J., Scrutton, Nigel S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalysis
Chlorophyll
Electron transfer
Excited state
Flavin
Flavins - chemistry
Humans
Photoenzyme
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Summary:Photoenzymes use light to initiate biochemical reactions. Although rarely found in nature, their study has advanced understanding of how light energy can be harnessed to facilitate enzyme catalysis, which is also of importance to the design and engineering of man-made photocatalysts. Natural photoenzymes can be assigned to one of two families, based broadly on the nature of the light-sensing chromophores used, those being chlorophyll-like tetrapyrroles or flavins. In all cases, light absorption leads to excited state electron transfer, which in turn initiates photocatalysis. Reviewed here are recent findings relating to the structures and mechanisms of known photoenzymes. We highlight recent advances that have deepened understanding of mechanisms in biological photocatalysis.
ISSN:0959-440X
1879-033X
DOI:10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102491