Zebrafish (Danio rerio)의 microsomal epoxide hydrolase(mEH)로 추정되는 유전자를 클로닝하고 그 특성을 연구하였다. D. rerio의 mEH 추정단백질은 포유동물의 mEH 및 세균의 EH들과 아미노산서열 상동성을 보였으므로 결정분자구조(1qo7 및 1ehy)를 template로 하여 homology modelling을 행하였다. 클로된 단백질은 $Asp^{233}$, $Glu^{413}$ 및 $His^{440}$으로 구성된 catalytic triad와 2개의 tyrosine 잔기 및 oxyanion hole이 보존되어 있었다. 생물정보학적인 분석 및 EH 활성시험은 추정단백질이 D. rerio의 mEH라는 것을 보여주었다. Racemic styrene oxide를 기질로 하여 활성시험을 행한 결과, 재조합 D. rerio mEH는 (R)-styrene oxide을 입체선택적으로 가수분해하였으며 45분 반응시간에 99%ee의 광학순도를 가진 (S)-styrene oxide를 33.5% 얻을 수 있었다.
A gene encoding for a putative microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) of a zebrafish, Danio rerio, was cloned and characterized. The putative mEH protein of D. rerio exhibited sequence similarity with mammalian mEH and some other bacterial EHs. A structural model for the putative mEH was constructed using homology modeling based on the crystallographic templates, 1 qo7 and 1 ehy. The catalytic triad consisting of $Asp^{233}$, $Glu^{413}$, and $His^{440}$ was identified, and the characteristic features such as two tyrosine residues and oxyanion hole were found to be highly conserved. Based on bioinformatic analysis together with EH activity assay, the putative protein was annotated as mEH of D. rerio. Enantiopure styrene oxide with enantiopurity of 99%ee and yield of 33.5% was obtained from racemic styrene oxide by the enantioselective hydrolysis activity of recombinant mEH of D. rerio for 45 min.
