Halogenation And Vanadium Haloperoxidases

In marine organisms, vanadium haloperoxidases (VHPO) are involved in the production of halogenated metabolites, which feature a large panel of biological roles, such as signal molecules or antibiotics. VHPO-based halogenation processes are likely to play a role in the biogeochemical cycling of halogens because of the formation of volatile halocarbons, especially in marine coastal environments where large seaweed beds dominate. At the biochemical level, these enzymes present different specificities, and are classified according to the most electronegative halide that they can oxidize. In this chapter, a review is provided of all data obtained from biochemical, molecular characterization and structural studies on these haloperoxidases, since their discovery in a marine brown alga 30 years ago.