Enantioselective oxidation of aldehydes catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase

Cooperative chemoenzymatic synthesis of N-heterocycles via synergizing bio- with organocatalysis

Inspired by Nature's ingenuity, considerable progress has been made in recent years to develop chemoenzymatic processes by the integration of environmentally friendly feature of biocatalysis with versatile reactivity of chemocatalysis. However, the current types of chemoenzymatic processes are relatively few and mostly rely on metal catalysts. Here, we report a previously unexplored cooperative chemoenzymatic system for the synthesis of N-heterocycles. Starting from alcohols and amines, benzimidazole, pyrazine, quinazoline, indole, and quinoline can be obtained in excellent yields in water with O₂ as the terminal oxidant. Synthetic bridged flavin analog is served as a bifunctional organocatalyst for the regeneration of cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in the bioprocess and oxidative cyclodehydrogenation in the chemoprocess. Compared to the classical acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling strategy, being metal and base free, requiring only water as solvent, and not needing atmosphere protection were observed for the present method, exhibiting a favorable green and sustainable alternative.

Reductive enzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution affording 115 g/L (S)-2-phenylpropanol

Background

Published biocatalytic routes for accessing enantiopure 2-phenylpropanol using oxidoreductases afforded maximal product titers of only 80 mM. Enzyme deactivation was identified as the major limitation and was attributed to adduct formation of the aldehyde substrate with amino acid residues of the reductase.

Results

A single point mutant of Candida tenuis xylose reductase (CtXR D51A) with very high catalytic efficiency (43·10³ s⁻¹ M⁻¹) for (S)-2-phenylpropanal was found. The enzyme showed high enantioselectivity for the (S)-enantiomer but was deactivated by 0.5 mM substrate within 2 h. A whole-cell biocatalyst expressing the engineered reductase and a yeast formate dehydrogenase for NADH-recycling provided substantial stabilization of the reductase. The relatively slow in situ racemization of 2-phenylpropanal and the still limited biocatalyst stability required a subtle adjustment of the substrate-to-catalyst ratio. A value of 3.4 g_substrate/g_{cell-dry-weight} was selected as a suitable compromise between product ee and the conversion ratio. A catalyst loading of 40 g_{cell-dry-weight} was used to convert 1 M racemic 2-phenylpropanal into 843 mM (115 g/L) (S)-phenylpropanol with 93.1% ee.

Conclusion

The current industrial production of profenols mainly relies on hydrolases. The bioreduction route established here represents an alternative method for the production of profenols that is competitive with hydrolase-catalyzed kinetic resolutions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-021-00715-5.

Biocatalytic oxidation of fatty alcohols into aldehydes for the flavors and fragrances industry

From Egyptian mummies to the Chanel n°5 perfume, fatty aldehydes have long been used and keep impacting our senses in a wide range of foods, beverages and perfumes. Natural sources of fatty aldehydes are threatened by qualitative and quantitative variability while traditional chemical routes are insufficient to answer the society shift toward more sustainable and natural products. The production of fatty aldehydes using biotechnologies is therefore the most promising alternative for the flavors and fragrances industry. In this review, after drawing the portrait of the origin and characteristics of fragrant fatty aldehydes, we present the three main classes of enzymes that catalyze the reaction of fatty alcohols oxidation into aldehydes, namely alcohol dehydrogenases, flavin-dependent alcohol oxidases and copper radical alcohol oxidases. The constraints, challenges and opportunities to implement these oxidative enzymes in the flavors and fragrances industry are then discussed. By setting the scene on the biocatalytic production of fatty aldehydes, and providing a critical assessment of its potential, we expect this review to contribute to the development of biotechnology-based solutions in the flavors and fragrances industry.

A cascade reaction for the synthesis of d-fagomine precursor revisited: Kinetic insight and understanding of the system

The synthesis of aldol adduct (3S,4R)-6-[(benzyloxycarbonyl)amino]-5,6-dideoxyhex-2-ulose, a precursor of the interesting dietary supplement, iminosugar d-fagomine, was studied in a cascade reaction with three enzymes starting from Cbz-N-3-aminopropanol. This system was studied previously using a statistical optimization method which enabled a 79 % yield of the aldol adduct with a 10 % yield of the undesired amino acid by-product. Here, a kinetic model of the cascade, including enzyme operational stability decay rate and the undesired overoxidation of the intermediate product, was developed. The validated model was instrumental in the optimization of the cascade reaction in the batch reactor. Simulations were carried out to determine the variables with the most significant impact on substrate conversion and product yield. As a result, process conditions were found that provided the aldol adduct in 92 % yield with only 0.7 % yield of the amino acid in a one-pot one-step reaction. Additionally, compared to previous work, this improved process outcome was achieved at lower concentrations of two enzymes used in the reaction. With this study the advantages are demonstrated of a modelling approach in developing complex biocatalytical processes. Mathematical models enable better understanding of the interactions of variables in the investigated system, reduce cost, experimental efforts in the lab and time necessary to obtain results since the simulations are carried out in silico.

Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution by Addition of Oxygen

Kinetic resolution using biocatalysis has proven to be an excellent complementary technique to traditional asymmetric catalysis for the production of enantioenriched compounds. Resolution using oxidative enzymes produces valuable oxygenated structures for use in synthetic route development. This Minireview focuses on enzymes which catalyse the insertion of an oxygen atom into the substrate and, in so doing, can achieve oxidative kinetic resolution. The Baeyer-Villiger rearrangement, epoxidation, and hydroxylation are included, and biological advancements in enzyme development, and applications of these key enantioenriched intermediates in natural product synthesis are discussed.

Biocatalytic Oxidation of Alcohols

Enzymatic methods for the oxidation of alcohols are critically reviewed. Dehydrogenases and oxidases are the most prominent biocatalysts, enabling the selective oxidation of primary alcohols into aldehydes or acids. In the case of secondary alcohols, region and/or enantioselective oxidation is possible. In this contribution, we outline the current state-of-the-art and discuss current limitations and promising solutions.

Stereoselective Bioreduction of α-diazo-β-keto Esters

Diazo compounds are versatile reagents in chemical synthesis and biology due to the tunable reactivity of the diazo functionality and its compatibility with living systems. Much effort has been made in recent years to explore their accessibility and synthetic potential; however, their preparation through stereoselective enzymatic asymmetric synthesis has been scarcely reported in the literature. Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs, also called ketoreductases, KREDs) are powerful redox enzymes able to reduce carbonyl compounds in a highly stereoselective manner. Herein, we have developed the synthesis and subsequent bioreduction of nine α-diazo-β-keto esters to give optically active α-diazo-β-hydroxy esters with potential applications as chiral building blocks in chemical synthesis. Therefore, the syntheses of prochiral α-diazo-β-keto esters bearing different substitution patterns at the adjacent position of the ketone group (N₃CH₂, ClCH₂, BrCH₂, CH₃OCH₂, NCSCH₂, CH₃, and Ph) and in the alkoxy portion of the ester functionality (Me, Et, and Bn), were carried out through the diazo transfer reaction to the corresponding β-keto esters in good to excellent yields (81–96%). After performing the chemical reduction of α-diazo-β-keto esters with sodium borohydride and developing robust analytical conditions to monitor the biotransformations, their bioreductions were exhaustively studied using in-house made Escherichia coli overexpressed and commercially available KREDs. Remarkably, the corresponding α-diazo-β-hydroxy esters were obtained in moderate to excellent conversions (60 to >99%) and high selectivities (85 to >99% ee) after 24 h at 30 °C. The best biotransformations in terms of conversion and enantiomeric excess were successfully scaled up to give the expected chiral alcohols with almost the same activity and selectivity values observed in the enzyme screening experiments.

Plant-Mediated Enantioselective Transformation of Indan-1-one and Indan-1-ol. Part 2

The main purpose of this publication was to obtain the S-enantiomer of indan-1-ol with high enantiomeric excess and satisfactory yield. In our research, we used carrot callus cultures (Daucus carota L.), whereby the enzymatic system reduced indan-1-one and oxidized indan-1-ol. During the reaction of reduction, after five days, we received over 50% conversion, with the enantiomeric excess of the formed S-alcohol above 99%. In turn, during the oxidation of racemic indan-1-ol after 15 days, 36.7% of alcohol with an enantiomeric excess 57.4% S(+) remained in the reaction mixture. In addition, our research confirmed that the reactions of reduction and oxidation are competing reactions during the transformation of indan-1-ol and indan-1-one in carrot callus cultures.

One-Pot Enzyme Cascade for Controlled Synthesis of Furancarboxylic Acids from 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural by H2 O2 Internal Recycling

Furancarboxylic acids are promising biobased building blocks in pharmaceutical and polymer industries. In this work, dual-enzyme cascade systems composed of galactose oxidase (GOase) and alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are constructed for controlled synthesis of 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (FFCA) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), based on the catalytic promiscuity of ADHs. The byproduct H₂ O₂ , which is produced in GOase-catalyzed oxidation of HMF to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), is used for horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mediated regeneration of the oxidized nicotinamide cofactors for subsequent oxidation of DFF promoted by an ADH, thus implementing H₂ O₂ internal recycling. The desired products FFCA and FDCA are obtained with yields of more than 95 %.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as a photocatalyst

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is a key redox compound in all living cells responsible for energy transduction, genomic integrity, life-span extension, and neuromodulation. Here, we report a new function of NAD⁺ as a molecular photocatalyst in addition to the biological roles. Our spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses reveal light absorption and electronic properties of two π-conjugated systems of NAD⁺. Furthermore, NAD⁺ exhibits a robust photostability under UV-Vis-NIR irradiation. We demonstrate photocatalytic redox reactions driven by NAD⁺, such as O₂ reduction, H₂O oxidation, and the formation of metallic nanoparticles. Beyond the traditional role of NAD⁺ as a cofactor in redox biocatalysis, NAD⁺ executes direct photoactivation of oxidoreductases through the reduction of enzyme prosthetic groups. Consequently, the synergetic integration of biocatalysis and photocatalysis using NAD⁺ enables solar-to-chemical conversion with the highest-ever-recorded turnover frequency and total turnover number of 1263.4 hour^-1 and 1692.3, respectively, for light-driven biocatalytic trans-hydrogenation.

An Engineered Alcohol Oxidase for the Oxidation of Primary Alcohols

Structure-guided directed evolution of choline oxidase has been carried out by using the oxidation of hexan-1-ol to hexanal as the target reaction. A six-amino-acid variant was identified with a 20-fold increased k_cat compared to that of the wild-type enzyme. This variant enabled the oxidation of 10 mm hexanol to hexanal in less than 24 h with 100 % conversion. Furthermore, this variant showed a marked increase in thermostability with a corresponding increase in T_m of 20 °C. Improved solvent tolerance was demonstrated with organic solvents including ethyl acetate, heptane and cyclohexane, thereby enabling improved conversions to the aldehyde by up to 30 % above conversion for the solvent-free system. Despite the evolution of choline oxidase towards hexan-1-ol, this new variant also showed increased specific activities (by up to 100-fold) for around 50 primary aliphatic, unsaturated, branched, cyclic, benzylic and halogenated alcohols.

Biocatalytic Oxidation Reactions: A Chemist's Perspective

Oxidation chemistry using enzymes is approaching maturity and practical applicability in organic synthesis. Oxidoreductases (enzymes catalysing redox reactions) enable chemists to perform highly selective and efficient transformations ranging from simple alcohol oxidations to stereoselective halogenations of non-activated C-H bonds. For many of these reactions, no "classical" chemical counterpart is known. Hence oxidoreductases open up shorter synthesis routes based on a more direct access to the target products. The generally very mild reaction conditions may also reduce the environmental impact of biocatalytic reactions compared to classical counterparts. In this Review, we critically summarise the most important recent developments in the field of biocatalytic oxidation chemistry and identify the most pressing bottlenecks as well as promising solutions.

Biocatalytic Parallel Interconnected Dynamic Asymmetric Disproportionation of α-Substituted Aldehydes: Atom-Efficient Access to Enantiopure (S)-Profens and Profenols

The biocatalytic asymmetric disproportionation of aldehydes catalyzed by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) was assessed in detail on a series of racemic 2-arylpropanals. Statistical optimization by means of design of experiments (DoE) allowed the identification of critical interdependencies between several reaction parameters and revealed a specific experimental window for reaching an 'optimal compromise' in the reaction outcome. The biocatalytic system could be applied to a variety of 2-arylpropanals and granted access in a redox-neutral manner to enantioenriched (S)-profens and profenols following a parallel interconnected dynamic asymmetric transformation (PIDAT). The reaction can be performed in aqueous buffer at ambient conditions, does not rely on a sacrificial co-substrate, and requires only catalytic amounts of cofactor and a single enzyme. The high atom-efficiency was exemplified by the conversion of 75 mM of rac-2-phenylpropanal with 0.03 mol% of HLADH in the presence of ∼0.013 eq. of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), yielding 28.1 mM of (S)-2-phenylpropanol in 96% ee and 26.5 mM of (S)-2-phenylpropionic acid in 89% ee, in 73% overall conversion. Isolated yield of 62% was obtained on 100 mg-scale, with intact enantiopurities.

A Review: The Styrene Metabolizing Cascade of Side-Chain Oxygenation as Biotechnological Basis to Gain Various Valuable Compounds

Styrene is one of the most produced and processed chemicals worldwide and is released into the environment during widespread processing. But, it is also produced from plants and microorganisms. The natural occurrence of styrene led to several microbiological strategies to form and also to degrade styrene. One pathway designated as side-chain oxygenation has been reported as a specific route for the styrene degradation among microorganisms. It comprises the following enzymes: styrene monooxygenase (SMO; NADH-consuming and FAD-dependent, two-component system), styrene oxide isomerase (SOI; cofactor independent, membrane-bound protein) and phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase (PAD; NAD+-consuming) and allows an intrinsic cofactor regeneration. This specific way harbors a high potential for biotechnological use. Based on the enzymatic steps involved in this degradation route, important reactions can be realized from a large number of substrates which gain access to different interesting precursors for further applications. Furthermore, stereochemical transformations are possible, offering chiral products at high enantiomeric excess. This review provides an actual view on the microbiological styrene degradation followed by a detailed discussion on the enzymes of the side-chain oxygenation. Furthermore, the potential of the single enzyme reactions as well as the respective multi-step syntheses using the complete enzyme cascade are discussed in order to gain styrene oxides, phenylacetaldehydes, or phenylacetic acids (e.g., ibuprofen). Altered routes combining these putative biocatalysts with other enzymes are additionally described. Thus, the substrates spectrum can be enhanced and additional products as phenylethanols or phenylethylamines are reachable. Finally, additional enzymes with similar activities toward styrene and its metabolic intermediates are shown in order to modify the cascade described above or to use these enzyme independently for biotechnological application.

Engineering substrate promiscuity in halophilic alcohol dehydrogenase (HvADH2) by in silico design

An alcohol dehydrogenase from the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii (HvADH2) has been engineered by rational design to broaden its substrate scope towards the conversion of a range of aromatic substrates, including flurbiprofenol, that is an intermediate of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, flurbiprofen. Wild-type HvADH2 showed minimal activity with flurbiprofenol (11.1 mU/mg). A homology model of HvADH2 was built and docking experiments with this substrate revealed that the biphenyl rings of flurbiprofenol formed strong interactions with residues F85 and F108, preventing its optimal binding in the active site. Mutations at position 85 however did not increase activity. Site directed mutagenesis at position F108 allowed the identification of three variants showing a significant (up to 2.3-fold) enhancement of activity towards flurbiprofenol, when compared to wild-type HvADH2. Interestingly, F108G variant did not show the classic inhibition in the presence of (R)-enantiomer when tested with rac-1-phenylethanol, underling its potential in racemic resolution of secondary alcohols.

Dehydrogenase-Catalyzed Oxidation of Furanics: Exploitation of Hemoglobin Catalytic Promiscuity

The catalytic promiscuity of hemoglobin (Hb) was explored for regenerating oxidized nicotinamide cofactors [NAD(P)⁺ ]. With H₂ O₂ as oxidant, Hb efficiently oxidized NAD(P)H into NAD(P)⁺ within 30 min. The new NAD(P)⁺ regeneration system was coupled with horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) for the oxidation of bio-based furanics such as furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The target acids (e.g., 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, FDCA) were prepared with moderate-to-good yields. The enzymatic regeneration method was applied in l-glutamic dehydrogenase (DH)-mediated oxidative deamination of lglutamate and for l-lactic-DH-mediated oxidation of l-lactate, which furnished α-ketoglutarate and pyruvate in yields of 97 % and 81 %, respectively. A total turnover number (TTON) of up to approximately 5000 for cofactor and an E factor of less than 110 were obtained in the bi-enzymatic cascade synthesis of α-ketoglutarate. Overall, a proof-of-concept based on catalytic promiscuity of Hb was provided for in situ regeneration of NAD(P)⁺ in DH-catalyzed oxidation reactions.

Microfluidic chip-based one-step fabrication of an artificial photosystem I for photocatalytic cofactor regeneration

We report a one-step strategy for the formation of an artificial photosystem I, with an enhanced coenzyme regeneration rate.

The bioinspired construction of an ordered carbon nitride array for photocatalytic mediated enzymatic reduction

A carbon nitride array (CNA) material has been constructed using a sacrificial diatom template. A regular carbon nitride nanorod array could be replicated from the periodic and regular nanochannel array of the template. The directional charge transport properties and high light harvesting capability of the CNA gives much better performance in splitting water to give hydrogen than its bulk counterpart. Furthermore, by combining with a rhodium complex as a mediator, the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) cofactor of many enzymes could be photocatalytically regenerated by the CNA. The rate of the in situ NADH regeneration is high enough to reverse the biological pathway of the three dehydrogenase enzymes, which then leads to the sustainable conversion of formaldehyde to methanol and also the reduction of carbon dioxide into methanol.

Deracemisation of profenol core by combining laccase/TEMPO-mediated oxidation and alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed dynamic kinetic resolution

A one-pot two-step chemoenzymatic protocol to deracemise a profen-like derivative has been designed.

Laccase-mediator system for alcohol oxidation to carbonyls or carboxylic acids: toward a sustainable synthesis of profens

By combining two green and efficient catalysts, such as the commercially available enzyme laccase from Trametes versicolor and the stable free radical 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO), the oxidation in water of some primary alcohols to the corresponding carboxylic acids or aldehydes and of selected secondary alcohols to ketones can be accomplished. The range of applicability of bio-oxidation is widened by applying the optimized protocol to the oxidation of enantiomerically pure 2-arylpropanols (profenols) into the corresponding 2-arylpropionic acids (profens), in high yields and with complete retention of configuration.

Uniform graphitic carbon nitride nanorod for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and sustained photoenzymatic catalysis

Uniform graphitic carbon nitride nanorods (CNR) were facilely obtained by a morphology-preserving strategy by templating a chiral mesostructured silica nanorod. The hexagonal mesostructured pore structures of one-dimensional silica nanorods can provide nanoconfinement space for carbon nitride condensation to perfect layered structures. CNR demonstrated excellent photocatalytic capability in generating hydrogen from water even with a small specific surface area, compared with its mesoporous counterpart. For further application demonstration, the CNR was used for photocatalytic regeneration of NAD(+) to NADH, the biological form of hydrogen. The in situ NADH regeneration system was further coupled with l-glutamate dehydrogenase for sustainable generation of l-glutamate from α-ketoglutarate. The high yield and high efficiency obtained here point a high-throughput and sustainable way for practical enzymatic applications.