Abstract 2314 Structural and Functional Analysis of Glycyl radical Enzymes that activate hydrocarbons

Anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation by microbes is crucial for bioremediation and understanding microbial corrosion. X-succinate synthases (XSSs) catalyze the initial hydrocarbon activation through addition to fumarate (i.e. hydroalkylation of fumarate). XSSs, like all members of the glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) family, utilize a glycyl radical for catalysis. This radical is post-translationally installed by an S-adenosyl methionine (AdoMet)-dependent activating enzyme (AE). Though most characterized GREs consist of a single protein subunit, XSSs contain additional smaller subunits, all of which contain metal cofactors.