Abstract: Phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) (lyase, EC 4.1.1.102) catalyzes the conversion of phenolic acids such as coumaric acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and glucosic acid that are widely distributed in plants into 4-vinyl derivatives. 4-Vinyl derivatives are not only high-grade fragrances, but also key precursors for the synthesis of other spices such as vanillin. Food spices are mainly chemically synthesized in the current market. By contrast, the biosynthesis method, which is characterized by single precursor substances, mild conditions and environmental friendliness, has broad application prospects, and biosynthesized spices are regarded as being equivalent to natural products. Therefore, using PAD for the biosynthesis of 4-vinyl derivatives is of great significance to supplementing the production pathway of this type of fragrance. In this article, PAD derived from microorganisms are summarized from five aspects: origins, molecular structure, catalytic mechanism and structure-function correlation, catalytic properties, and techniques to improve the catalytic efficiency.

Key words: phenolic acid decarboxylase; phenolic acids; microorganisms; molecular structure; catalytic properties