Fluorometabolite biosynthesis and the fluorinase from Streptomyces cattleya

This review outlines the recent developments in uncovering the enzymes and intermediates involved in fluorometabolite biosynthesis in the bacterium Streptomyces cattleya. A particular emphasis is placed on the purification and characterisation of the fluorinase, the C–F bond forming enzyme which initiates the biosynthesis. Nature has hardly developed a biochemistry around fluorine, yet fluorinated organics are important commercial entities, therefore a biotransformation from inorganic to organic fluorine is novel and of contemporary interest.