PhnY and PhnZ Comprise a New Oxidative Pathway for Enzymatic Cleavage of a Carbon–Phosphorus Bond

The sequential activities of PhnY, an α-ketoglutarate/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenase, and PhnZ, a Fe(II)-dependent enzyme of the histidine-aspartate motif hydrolase family, cleave the carbon–phosphorus bond of the organophosphonate natural product 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid. PhnY adds a hydroxyl group to the α-carbon, yielding 2-amino-1-hydroxyethylphosphonic acid, which is oxidatively converted by PhnZ to inorganic phosphate and glycine. The PhnZ reaction represents a new enzyme mechanism for metabolic cleavage of a carbon–phosphorus bond.