Halohydrin dehalogenase

A halohydrin dehalogenase is an enzyme involved in the bacterial degradation of vicinal halohydrins. In several species of bacteria, it catalyses the dehalogenation of halohydrins to produce the corresponding epoxides. Different isoforms of the enzyme fall into one of three groups, A, B or C. Halogenases of the same class are genetically similar, but differ greatly from halogenases from a different group. Currently the most well-studied isoform is HheC which is purified from the bacterial species Agrobacterium radiobacter. The ability to dehalogenate organic compounds as well as form enantiomeric selective epoxides have generated interest in the potential of this enzyme in the biochemical field.