Mutant enzymes

1. A process for oxidizing a substrate which is an organic compound, comprising the step of oxidizing said organic compound substrate with a mutant CYP102A1 (Cytochrome P450 family 102 sub-family A member No. 1) enzyme, in the presence of NADPH and dioxygen, wherein said CYP102A1 enzyme comprises:

(a) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;

(b) a homologue thereof of the CYP102 family; or

(c) an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity to the amino acid sequence of (a) or (b);

in the presence of NADPH and dioxygen, wherein the mutant enzyme of (a), (b), or (c) comprises a substitution at one or more amino acid residue positions in the polypeptide chain corresponding to amino acid residue positions 330, 191, 401, 403, or 276 of SEQ ID NO: 2, thereby enhancing the monooxygenase activity of the mutant enzyme of (a), (b), or (c).

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a short-chain alkane, or a substituted derivative thereof, or is an aromatic compound, or an alkylbenzene, or a substituted derivative thereof, wherein a substituted derivative is capable of being oxidized by the mutant CYP102A1 (Cytochrome P450 family 102 sub-family A member No. 1) enzyme.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a halo aromatic compound or an acyclic or cyclic terpene or a terpenoid or a sesquiterpene, or a cycloalkene or a saturated fatty acid; or a substituted derivative thereof, wherein a substituted derivative is capable of being oxidized by the mutant CYP102A1 (Cytochrome P450 family 102 sub-family A member No. 1) enzyme.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein said short chain alkane is pentane, 3-methylpentane, 2-methylbutane, butane, propane, ethane and methane; or wherein said alkylbenzene is propylbenzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, butylbenzene, t-butylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, cumene, p-cymene, and ethylanisole; or wherein the aromatic compound is naphthalene or fluorene; or wherein said monoterpene is limonene or pinene; or wherein said sesquiterpene is valencene; or wherein said terpenoid is an ionone such as β-ionone or a damascone; or wherein said saturated fatty acid is lauric acid or decanoic acid.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic compound substrate is oxidized in a cell which expresses said enzyme.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein a different number of products are formed in comparison to if the process were carried out using CYP102A1 (Cytochrome P450 family 102 sub-family A, member No. 1).

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme shares at least 95% homology with amino acid residues 1-480 of SEQ ID NO: 2.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme, which has:

(i) a conservative mutation at one or more of positions 117, 131, 215, 330, 401; and/or

(ii) a polar amino acid at one or more of positions 191 and 276; and/or

(iii) a non-polar amino acid at one or more of positions 377 and 403; and/or

(iv) an uncharged residue at position 425,

and wherein optionally there are no mutations at positions which flank one or more of positions 117, 131, 191, 215, 276, 307, 330, 377, 401, 403 or 425.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme has:

(i) an amino acid with an increased side-chain volume at one or more of position 330, 401 and 403;

(ii) a polar amino acid at one or more of positions 191 and 276; and/or

(iii) a polar uncharged amino acid at position 425.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme additionally comprises substitutions at one or more of the following positions: 47, 51, 74, 82, 87, 171, 188, 239, 259, 263, 264, 267, 319, 328 or 353.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme comprises mutations selected from: R47L, Y51F, A74G, A82L, F87A, F87G, F87L, H171L, L188Q, N239H, I259V, I263A, A264G, E267V, N319Y, A328V or L353I.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mutant enzyme comprises one or more of the following mutations or groups of mutations:

(i) A330P;

(ii) A191T/N239H/I259V/A276T/L353I;

(iii) F87A/H171L/Q307H/N319Y;

(iv) F87A/A330P/E377A/D425N;

(v) F87A/A117V/E131D/L215I;

(vi) I401P;

(vii) R47L/Y51F/I401P;

(viii) F87A/I401P;

(ix) R47L/Y51F/F87A/I401P;

(x) R47L/Y51F/A330P/1401P;

(xi) Q403P;

(xii) R47L/Y51F/Q403P;

(xiii) R47L/Y51F/F87A/Q403P.