Nature Communications (Oct 2018)

Indoleacetate decarboxylase is a glycyl radical enzyme catalysing the formation of malodorant skatole

  • Dazhi Liu,
  • Yifeng Wei,
  • Xuyang Liu,
  • Yan Zhou,
  • Li Jiang,
  • Jinyu Yin,
  • Feifei Wang,
  • Yiling Hu,
  • Ankanahalli N. Nanjaraj Urs,
  • Yanhong Liu,
  • Ee Lui Ang,
  • Suwen Zhao,
  • Huimin Zhao,
  • Yan Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06627-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

Read online

Skatole is a bacterial metabolite responsible for boar taint and the objectionable smell of manure. Here, the authors elucidate the final step of skatole biosynthesis, describing the discovery and biochemical characterization of the enzyme catalysing the conversion of indoleacetate into skatole.