Phenylacetate decarboxylase
Phenylacetate decarboxylase is a carboxy-lyase enzyme. The enzyme was isolated from anoxic toluene-producing microbial communities. It is a glycyl radical enzyme. It requires activation through a dedicated cognate activating enzyme. The cognate activase catalyses the reductive lysing of S-Adenosyl methionine which yields a 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical that allows the production of the glycyl radical. The enzyme catalyzes the following reaction:
The enzyme is involved in various biosynthetic and bio-catabolic pathways, including the toluene production pathway, phenylacetate degradation pathway and biosynthetic pathway of select other aromatic compounds in toluene producing bacterial species.