Scheme 1

Five-step biotransformation of 1,2,3-trichloropropane into glycerol by the enzymes of the synthetic biodegradation pathway. The pathway consists of haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 [33] with the haloalcohol dehalogenase HheC and epoxide hydrolase EchA from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 [34, 35]. Computer-assisted protein engineering was used to improve activity of the haloalkane dehalogenase towards 1,2,3-trichloropropane, leading to the development of the 32-fold more active and 26-fold more efficient mutant DhaA31 [31]. Formed glycerol can be utilized in central catabolic pathways of the host cell