This bacterial family of Acyl transferases (or myristoyl-acp-specific thioesterases) catalyse the first step in the bioluminescent fatty acid reductase system.
Myristoyl acyl carrier protein specific thioesterase (C14ACP-TE) is a lux-specific acyltransferase belonging to the alpha/beta hydrolase family. The acyl transferase is part of the fatty acid reductase system required for aldehyde biosynthesis. It produces fatty acids for the light-emitting reaction catalysed by luciferase in luminescent bacteria. In Vibrio harveyi, C14ACP-TE is responsible for catalysing the transfer or hydrolysis of acyl group from either myristoyl-ACP or myristoyl-CoA to form myristic acid, and for diverting the myristic acid to the bioluminescence pathway, where it undergoes NADPH-dependent reduction and subsequent FMNH2- and O2-dependent oxidation of the corresponding aldehyde, with accompanying emission of light.
Defined by 3 residues: SER:A-114ASP:A-211HIS:A-241