A kinetic study and application of a novel carbonyl reductase isolated from Rhodococcus erythropolis

Microbial and enzymatic conversion of levulinic acid, an alternative building block to fermentable sugars from cellulosic biomass

Levulinic acid (LA) is an important chemical building block listed among the top 12 value-added chemicals by the United States Department of Energy, and can be obtained through the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Using the same approach as in the catalytic production of LA from biomass, catalytic methods to upgrade LA to higher value chemicals have been investigated. Since the discovery of the catabolic genes and enzymes in the LA metabolic pathway, bioconversion of LA into useful chemicals has attracted attention, and can potentially broaden the range of biochemical products derived from cellulosic biomass. With a brief introduction to the LA catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas spp., this review summarizes the current studies on the microbial conversion of LA into bioproducts, including the recent developments to achieve higher yields through genetic engineering of Escherichia coli cells. Three different types of reactions during the enzymatic conversion of LA are also discussed. KEY POINTS: • Levulinic acid is an alternative building block to sugars from cellulosic biomass. • Introduction of levulinic acid bioconversion with natural and engineered microbes. • Initial enzymatic conversion of levulinic acid proceeds via three different pathways. • 4-Hydroxyvalerate is one of the target chemicals for levulinic acid bioconversion.

Metagenomic approaches to understanding phylogenetic diversity in quorum sensing

Quorum sensing, a form of cell-cell communication among bacteria, allows bacteria to synchronize their behaviors at the population level in order to control behaviors such as luminescence, biofilm formation, signal turnover, pigment production, antibiotics production, swarming, and virulence. A better understanding of quorum-sensing systems will provide us with greater insight into the complex interaction mechanisms used widely in the Bacteria and even the Archaea domain in the environment. Metagenomics, the use of culture-independent sequencing to study the genomic material of microorganisms, has the potential to provide direct information about the quorum-sensing systems in uncultured bacteria. This article provides an overview of the current knowledge of quorum sensing focused on phylogenetic diversity, and presents examples of studies that have used metagenomic techniques. Future technologies potentially related to quorum-sensing systems are also discussed.

A chemo-enzymatic route to synthesize (S)-γ-valerolactone from levulinic acid

Levulinic acid is a feasible platform chemical derived from acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of lignocellulose. The conversion of this substrate to (S)-γ-valerolactone ((S)-GVL) was investigated in a chemo-enzymatic reaction sequence that benefits from mild reaction conditions and excellent enantiomeric excess of the desired (S)-GVL. For that purpose, levulinic acid was chemically esterified over the ion exchange resin Amberlyst 15 to yield ethyl levulinate (LaOEt). The keto ester was successfully reduced by (S)-specific carbonyl reductase from Candida parapsilosis (CPCR2) in a substrate-coupled cofactor regeneration system utilizing isopropanol as cosubstrate. In classical batch experiments, a maximum conversion of 95 % was achieved using a 20-fold excess of isopropanol. Continuous reduction of LaOEt was carried out for 24 h, and a productivity of more than 5 mg (S)-ethyl-4-hydroxypentanoate (4HPOEt) per μg CPCR2 was achieved. Afterwards (S)-4HPOEt (>99%ee) was substituted to lipase-catalyzed lactonization using immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica to yield (S)-GVL in 90 % overall yield and >99%ee.

Isolation and characterization of a novel Rhodococcus strain with switchable carbonyl reductase and para-acetylphenol hydroxylase activities

In the search for an effective biocatalyst for the reduction of acetophenones with unprotected hydroxy group on the benzene ring, a microorganism, which reduced para-acetylphenol to S-(−)-1-(para-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol under anaerobic conditions, was isolated from soil samples and the 16S rDNA study showed that it was phylogenetically affiliated with species of the genus Rhodococcus and was most similar to Rhodococcus pyridinivorans. Unexpectedly, this strain also hydroxylated para-acetylphenol to give 4-acetylcatechol in presence of oxygen, possessing para-acetylphenol hydroxylase activity. While the reduction of para-acetylphenol had an optimal reaction pH at 7 and a broad optimal temperature range (35–45 °C), the hydroxylation reached the maximum conversion at the pH range of 7–8 and 35 °C. This study identified for the first time a Rhodococcus strain with para-acetylphenol hydroxylase activity, which also contains highly enantioselective carbonyl reductase activity with potential applications for the asymmetric reduction of these less-explored but important ketones such as α-aminoacetophenone, 3′-hydroxyacetophenone and 4′-hydroxyacetophenone. The para-acetylphenol hydroxylase and carbonyl reductase activity are switchable by the reaction conditions.

Biocatalytic reductions: from lab curiosity to "first choice"

Enzyme-catalyzed reductions have been studied for decades and have been introduced in more than 10 industrial processes for production of various chiral alcohols, alpha-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids. The earlier hurdle of expensive cofactors was taken by the development of highly efficient cofactor regeneration methods. In addition, the accessible number of suitable dehydrogenases and therefore the versatility of this technology is constantly increasing and currently expanding beyond asymmetric production of alcohols and amino acids. Access to a large set of enzymes for highly selective C=C reductions and reductive amination of ketones for production of chiral secondary amines and the development of improved D-selective amino acid dehydrogenases will fuel the next wave of industrial bioreduction processes.

N-Acylhomoserine lactone quorum-sensing molecules are modified and degraded by Rhodococcus erythropolis W2 by both amidolytic and novel oxidoreductase activities

The Rhodococcus erythropolis strain W2 has been shown previously to degrade the N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) quorum-sensing signal molecule N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone, produced by other bacteria. Data presented here indicate that this Gram-positive bacterium is also capable of using various AHLs as the sole carbon and energy source. The enzymic activities responsible for AHL inactivation were investigated in R. erythropolis cell extracts and in whole cells. R. erythropolis cells rapidly degraded AHLs with 3-oxo substituents but exhibited relatively poor activity against the corresponding unsubstituted AHLs. Investigation of the mechanism(s) by which R. erythropolis cells degraded AHLs revealed that 3-oxo compounds with N-acyl side chains ranging from C8 to C14 were initially converted to their corresponding 3-hydroxy derivatives. This oxidoreductase activity was not specific to 3-oxo-AHLs but also allowed the reduction of compounds such as N-(3-oxo-6-phenylhexanoyl)homoserine lactone (which contains an aromatic acyl chain substituent) and 3-oxododecanamide (which lacks the homoserine lactone ring). It also reduced both the d- and l-isomers of n-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone. A second AHL-degrading activity was observed when R. erythropolis cell extracts were incubated with N-(3-oxodecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3O,C10-HSL). This activity was both temperature- and pH-dependent and was characterized as an amidolytic activity by HPLC analysis of the reaction mixture treated with dansyl chloride. This revealed the accumulation of dansylated homoserine lactone, indicating that the 3O,C10-HSL amide had been cleaved to yield homoserine lactone. R. erythropolis is therefore capable of modifying and degrading AHL signal molecules through both oxidoreductase and amidolytic activities.

Purification and cDNA cloning of NADPH-dependent aldoketoreductase, involved in asymmetric reduction of methyl 4-bromo-3-oxobutyrate, from Penicillium citrinum IFO4631

Penicillium citrinum was found to catalyze the reduction of methyl 4-bromo-3-oxobutyrate to methyl (S)-4-bromo-3-hydroxybutyrate [(S)-BHBM] with high optical purity. From the strain, a cDNA clone encoding a novel NADPH-dependent alkyl 4-halo-3-oxobutyrate reductase (KER) was isolated. Escherichia coli cells overexpressing KER produced (S)-BHBM in the presence of an NADPH-regeneration system.

Purification and characterization of a chemotolerant alcohol dehydrogenase applicable to coupled redox reactions

The purification and characterization of an organic solvent tolerant, NADH-dependent medium-chain secondary alcohol dehydrogenase (denoted sec-ADH "A") from Rhodococcus ruber DSM 44541 is reported. The enzyme can withstand elevated concentrations of organic solvents, such as acetone (up to 50% v/v) and 2-propanol (up to 80% v/v). Thus, it is ideally suited for the preparative-scale enantioselective oxidation of sec-alcohol and the asymmetric reduction of ketones, using acetone and 2-propanol, respectively, as cosubstrates for cofactor-regeneration via a coupled-substrate approach. The homodimeric protein was found to bear tightly bound zinc and displayed a molecular mass of 38 kDa per subunit as determined by SDS gel electrophoresis. The optimal temperature ranged from 30-50 degrees C and the half-life at 50 degrees C was 35 h. In addition, excellent storage stability was found. The pH optimum for reduction is pH 6.5; pH 9.0 is preferred for oxidation. The enzyme followed a sequential reaction mechanism. The substrates are medium chain sec-alcohols or (omega-1)-ketones; primary alcohols or aldehydes are not accepted.

Biochemical approaches to the synthesis of ethyl 5-(s)-hydroxyhexanoate and 5-(s)-hydroxyhexanenitrile

Three different biochemical approaches were used for the synthesis of ethyl 5-(S)-hydroxyhexanoate 1 and 5-(S)-hydroxyhexanenitrile 2. In the first approach, ethyl 5-oxo-hexanoate 3 and 5-oxo-hexanenitrile 4 were reduced by Pichia methanolica (SC 16116) to the corresponding (S)-alcohols, ethyl (S)-5-hydroxyhexanoate 1 and 5-(S)-hydroxyhexanenitrile 2, with an 80-90% yield and >95% enantiomeric excess (e.e). In the second approach, racemic 5-hydroxyhexanenitrile 5 was resolved by enzymatic succinylation, leading to the formation of (R)-5-hydroxyhexanenitrile hemisuccinate and leaving the desired alcohol 5-(S)-hydroxyhexanenitrile 2 with a yield of 34% (50% maximum yield) and >99% e.e. In the third approach, enzymatic hydrolysis of racemic 5-acetoxy hexanenitrile 6 resulted in the hydrolysis of the R-isomer to provide 5-(R)-hydroxyhexanenitrile, leaving 5-(S)-acetoxyhexanenitrile 7 with a 42% yield (50% maximum yield) and >99% e.e.

Properties of diacetyl (acetoin) reductase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

The cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus contain an NADH-dependent diacetyl (acetoin) reductase. The enzyme was easily purified to homogeneity, partially characterised, and found to be composed of two subunits with the same molecular weight. In the presence of NADH, it catalyses the stereospecific reduction of diacetyl first to (3S)-acetoin and then to (2S,3S)-butanediol; in the presence of NAD+, it catalyses the oxidation of (2S,3S)- and meso-butanediol, respectively, to (3S)-acetoin and to (3R)-acetoin, but is unable to oxidise these compounds to diacetyl. The enzyme is also able to catalyse redox reactions involving some endo-bicyclic octen- and heptenols and the related ketones, and its use is suggested also for the recycling of NAD+ and NADH in enzymatic redox reactions useful in organic syntheses.