Halogenases: powerful tools for biocatalysis (mechanisms applications and scope)

The market sizes for halogenated compounds are huge; in contrast to synthetic chemical alternatives, halogenating enzymes afford the highly regiospecific incorporation of a halogen into an organic molecule, there is therefore great opportunity for the development of industrially relevant halogenases. Here we overview the main classes of halogenases, the mechanisms through which they operate and their structures. We also look at recent applications of halogenases in areas such as metabolite engineering and late stage CH activation. Opportunities and bottlenecks are discussed.