Rhodococcus erythropolis is a species of bacteria able to grow on limonene. Its enzyme limonene epoxide hydrolase (LEH) is able to catalyse a key step in this process, namely the hydrolysis of limonene-1-2-epoxide to limonene-1-2-diol. However, the enzyme has a different fold and mechanism to the homologous family of epoxide hydrolases already known to exist, thus represents an example of convergent evolution. In fact, the enzyme bears little structural homology to any known enzyme except for kesosteriod isomerase, which catalyses a completely different reaction. The hydrolysis catalysed by LEH is enantioconvergent, therefore attracting wide interest in industrial applications.
Defined by 5 residues: TYR:A-53ASN:A-55ARG:A-99ASP:A-101ASP:A-132