<i>Fontimonas thermophila</i> Alkane Monooxygenase (FtAlkB) Is an Alkyl Fluoride Dehalogenase

Purified alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) from <i>Fontimonas thermophila</i> (FtAlkB) catalyzes the defluorination of 1-fluorooctane, producing octanal, which is partially reduced under the reaction conditions to generate 1-octanol. This reaction occurs preferentially at the monofluorinated methyl group, with only a minor amount of oxidation at the nonfluorinated end of the molecule. The dehalogenation chemistry is specific to 1-fluorooctane, as neither 1-chlorooctane or 1-bromooctane are dehalogenated to an appreciable extent. Furthermore, <i>P. putida</i> cells containing the structurally related AlkB (PpAlkB) along with the full set of genes required for alkane metabolism, utilize 1-fluorooctane as their sole source of carbon with growth rates comparable to those for cells grown with octane.