ABSTRACT
A wide variety of microorganisms have been used in bioremediation efforts. Heme enzymes that catalyze a range of chemical transformations offer great promise in bioremediation of dyes. Important enzymes for consideration are the gel-decolorizing peroxidases, dehaloperoxidases that can oxidize halophenol compounds and newer enzymes, that can remove toxic dyes, as well as genetically engineered heme proteins like cytochrome c peroxidases and myoglobin that have been modified to catalyze environmentally friendly reactions. This chapter explores the green biochemistry of bacterial heme proteins and how the heme-based gas sensing protein family could be used to help in bioremediation efforts. The heme-based gas sensing family of proteins has grown dramatically and includes the globin-coupled sensors (GCS), the heme-PAS family, the heme-NO binding (HNOB), and the CooA families, etc.. These heme proteins can sense CO, O2, or NO and regulate a wide variety of important biological processes, such as nitrogen fixation, blood pressure, and circadian rhythm. The biodiversity of heme-based gas sensing proteins makes them an ideal target for bioremediation efforts. This chapter discusses how the heme-based gas sensing proteins could be used in bioremediation and environmental sustainability efforts, turning heme proteins green.
