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Review
. 2020 Feb;104(3):925-933.
doi: 10.1007/s00253-019-10292-5. Epub 2019 Dec 13.

An overview of microbial indigo-forming enzymes

Andrea N Fabara  1 , Marco W Fraaije  2
Affiliations
Review

An overview of microbial indigo-forming enzymes

Andrea N Fabara et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Indigo is one of the oldest textile dyes and was originally prepared from plant material. Nowadays, indigo is chemically synthesized at a large scale to satisfy the demand for dyeing jeans. The current indigo production processes are based on fossil feedstocks; therefore, it is highly attractive to develop a more sustainable and environmentally friendly biotechnological process for the production of this popular dye. In the past decades, a number of natural and engineered enzymes have been identified that can be used for the synthesis of indigo. This mini-review provides an overview of the various microbial enzymes which are able to produce indigo and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each biocatalytic system.

Keywords: Flavoprotein monooxygenase; Indigo; Indole; Naphthalene dioxygenase; P450 monoxygenase; Peroxygenase; Styrene monoxygenase.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have has no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structural formulas of indigo, indoxyl, and some of its plant precursors, indican and isatan B
Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Timeline of indigo production processes
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Different enzymatic routes towards indigo, either via dioxygenation (A), direct hydroxylation to indoxyl (B), or via epoxidation (C)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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