Structural and evolutionary insights into the isoprene monooxygenases.

ABSTRACT: Isoprene, a highly reactive biogenic volatile organic compound emitted by terrestrial vegetation, influences atmospheric chemistry but its microbial degradation remains poorly understood. Aerobic degradation begins with isoprene monooxygenase (IsoMO), a multicomponent di-iron monooxygenase encoded by the isoABCDEF cluster, with isoGHIJ supporting downstream steps. We analysed iso gene clusters from 11 confirmed isoprene degraders, reconstructed amino acid sequence phylogenies, and generated structural models of IsoMO components using mainly AlphaFold2. IsoA, IsoE, and IsoB formed a highly conserved α₂β₂γ₂ monooxygenase core (IsoMO core) whose predicted architecture and closely resembled the soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase, revealing a shared di-iron catalytic framework adapted to

SUBMITTER: Larke-Mejia NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12917321 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature