While halogenases have been studied for decades, the first natural product dehalogenase was only recently described. This bacterial enzyme, Bmp8, catalyzes the reductive debromination of 2,3,4,5-tetrabromopyrrole to form 2,3,4-tribromopyrrole as part of the biosynthesis of pentabromopseudilin, a marine natural product. Bmp8 is hypothesized to utilize a catalytic mechanism analogous to the important human thyroid hormone deiodinase enzyme family, potentially enabling Bmp8 to serve as model system to study this conserved mechanism. Herein, we describe a method for the soluble expression and purification of Bmp8. Furthermore, we detail activity assay protocols to quantify both consumption of the tetrabromopyrrole substrate and formation of the tribromopyrrole product. These methods will enable further study of this unusual enzyme and its catalytic mechanism.
Keywords: Biosynthesis; Dehalogenase; Enzyme discovery; Marinomonas; Natural products; Pentabromopseudilin; Pseudoalteromonas; Tetrabromopyrrole.
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