Genetic Characterization of the Phenylacetyl-Coenzyme A Oxygenase from the Aerobic Phenylacetic Acid Degradation Pathway of Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT We show here that the paaABCDE genes of the paa cluster responsible for phenylacetate degradation in Escherichia coli W encode a five-component oxygenase that hydroxylates phenylacetyl-coenzyme A (CoA), the first intermediate of the pathway. The primary structure of the subunits of bacterial phenylacetyl-CoA oxygenases revealed that these enzymes constitute the prototype of a new and distinct group of the large bacterial diiron multicomponent oxygenase family.