Monooxygenase-catalyzed regioselective hydroxylation for the synthesis of hydroxyequols

Monooxygenases exhibiting high activity and differing regioselectivity for the dietary isoflavone metabolite equol were discovered among enzymes in the HpaBC family by a genome mining approach. These enzymes enabled the one-step product-selective synthesis of 3′- and 6-hydroxyequols from equol and molecular oxygen.