Biochemical characterization of a prokaryotic phenylalanine ammonia lyase

The committed biosynthetic reaction to benzoyl-coenzyme A in the marine bacterium "Streptomyces maritimus" is carried out by the novel prokaryotic phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) EncP, which converts the primary amino acid L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid. Recombinant EncP is specific for L-phenylalanine and shares many biochemical features with eukaryotic PALs, which are substantially larger proteins by approximately 200 amino acid residues.