Cytochrome P450 Catalyzed Oxidative Hydroxylation of Achiral Organic Compounds with Simultaneous Creation of Two Chirality Centers in a Single CH Activation Step

Site and Enantioselective Aliphatic C-H Oxidation with Bioinspired Chiral Complexes

Selective oxidation of aliphatic C-H bonds stands as an unsolved problem in organic synthesis, with the potential to offer novel paths for preparing molecules of biological interest. The quest for reagents that can perform this class of reactions finds oxygenases and their mechanisms of action as inspiration motifs. Among the numerous families of synthetic catalysts that have been explored, complexes with linear tetraazadentate ligands combining two aliphatic amines and two aromatic amine heterocycles display a structural versatility proven instrumental in the design of C-H oxidation reactions showing site and enantioselectivities, not accessible by conventional oxidants. This manuscript makes a review of recent advances in the field.

Immobilization of a Bacterial Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase System on a Solid Support

Bacterial cytochrome P450s (P450s), which catalyze regio- and stereoselective oxidations of hydrocarbons with high turnover rates, are attractive biocatalysts for fine chemical production. Enzyme immobilization is needed for cost-effective industrial manufacturing. However, immobilization of P450s is difficult because electron-transfer proteins are involved in catalysis and anchoring these can prevent them from functioning as shuttle molecules for carrying electrons. We studied a heterotrimeric protein-mediated co-immobilization of a bacterial P450, and its electron-transfer protein and reductase. Fusion with subunits of a heterotrimeric Sulfolobus solfataricus proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) enabled immobilization of the three proteins on a solid support. The co-immobilized enzymes catalyzed monooxygenation because the electron-transfer protein fused to PCNA via a single peptide linker retained its electron-transport function.