Non-Canonical Cytochrome P450 Enzymes in Nature

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are a superfamily of thiolate-ligated heme metalloenzymes principally responsible for the hydroxylation of unactivated C–H bonds. The lower-axial cysteine is an obligatory and universally conserved residue for the CYP enzyme class. Herein, we challenge this paradigm by systematically identifying non-canonical CYPs (ncCYPs) that do not harbor a cysteine ligand. Our bioinformatic search reveals 20 distinct ncCYP families with diverse ligands encoded in microbial genomes. We characterize a native serine-ligated CYP with a high-spin ferric resting state. Its crystal structure clearly shows a typical CYP fold and a serine alkoxide as a lower axial heme ligand. In addition, we report the discovery and characterization of the first native selenocysteine-ligated CYP in nature. Our findings radically expand the CYP metalloenzyme family.