Influence of reaction conditions on the enantioselectivity of biocatalyzed C–C bond formations under high pressure conditions

Bacterial mandelic acid degradation pathway and its application in biotechnology

Mandelic acid and its derivatives are an important class of chemical synthetic blocks, which is widely used in drug synthesis and stereochemistry research. In nature, mandelic acid degradation pathway has been widely identified and analyzed as a representative pathway of aromatic compounds degradation. The most studied mandelic acid degradation pathway from Pseudomonas putida consists of mandelate racemase, S-mandelate dehydrogenase, benzoylformate decarboxylase, benzaldehyde dehydrogenase and downstream benzoic acid degradation pathways. Because of the ability to catalyze various reactions of aromatic substrates, pathway enzymes have been widely used in biocatalysis, kinetic resolution, chiral compounds synthesis or construction of new metabolic pathways. In this paper, the physiological significance and the existing range of the mandelic acid degradation pathway were introduced first. Then each of the enzymes in the pathway is reviewed one by one, including the researches on enzymatic properties and the applications in biotechnology as well as efforts that have been made to modify the substrate specificity or improving catalytic activity by enzyme engineering to adapt different applications. The composition of the important metabolic pathway of bacterial mandelic acid degradation pathway as well as the researches and applications of pathway enzymes is summarized in this review for the first time.

Functional changes of biomolecules and organocatalysts as a probe for pressure effects in solution

High pressure acts as a mild and non-destructive activation mode for chemical reactions. However, in the context of organo-/biocatalysis, high pressure activation, has not been investigated systematically, although there are significant benefits such as rate acceleration, increased selectivity and the possibility of suppressing side product formation. The influence of hydrostatic pressure in solution on the catalytic performance of enzymes and small molecule organocatalysts such as amino acids, peptides, amines, cinchona alkaloids and thioureas is evaluated in this review, taking reactivity and selectivity as a probe to identify pressure effects on biomolecules.

Osmolytes modify protein dynamics and function of tetrameric lactate dehydrogenase upon pressurization

We present a study of the combined effects of natural cosolvents (TMAO, glycine, urea) and pressure on the activity of the tetrameric enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). To this end, high-pressure stopped-flow methodology in concert with fast UV/Vis spectroscopic detection of product formation was applied. To reveal possible pressure effects on the stability and dynamics of the enzyme, FTIR spectroscopic and neutron scattering measurements were carried out. In neat buffer solution, the catalytic turnover number of the enzyme, k_cat, increases up to 1000 bar, the pressure range where dissociation of the tetrameric species to dimers sets in. Accordingly, we obtain a negative activation volume, ΔV^# = -45.3 mL mol^-1. Further, the enzyme substrate complex has a larger volume compared to the enzyme and substrate in the unbound state. The neutron scattering data show that changes in the fast internal dynamics of the enzyme are not responsible for the increase of k_cat upon compression. Whereas the magnitude of k_cat is similar in the presence of the osmolytes, the pressure of deactivation is modulated by the addition of cosolvents. TMAO and glycine increase the pressure of deactivation, and in accordance with the observed stabilizing effect both cosolvents exhibit against denaturation and/or dissociation of proteins. While urea does not markedly affect the magnitude of the Michaelis constant, K_M, both 1 M TMAO and 1 M glycine exhibit smaller K_M values of about 0.07 mM and 0.05 mM below about 1 kbar. Such positive effect on the substrate affinity could be rationalized by the effect the two cosolutes impose on the thermodynamic activities of the reactants, which reflect changes in water-mediated intermolecular interactions. Our data show that the intracellular milieu, i.e., the solution conditions that have evolved, may be sufficient to maintain enzymatic activity under extreme environmental conditions, including the whole pressure range encountered on Earth.

Interrogating the Structural Dynamics and Energetics of Biomolecular Systems with Pressure Modulation

High hydrostatic pressure affects the structure, dynamics, and stability of biomolecular systems and is a key parameter in the context of the exploration of the origin and the physical limits of life. This review lays out the conceptual framework for exploring the conformational fluctuations, dynamical properties, and activity of biomolecular systems using pressure perturbation. Complementary pressure-jump relaxation studies are useful tools to study the kinetics and mechanisms of biomolecular phase transitions and structural transformations, such as membrane fusion or protein and nucleic acid folding. Finally, the advantages of using pressure to explore biomolecular assemblies and modulate enzymatic reactions are discussed.

Different strategies for multi-enzyme cascade reaction for chiral vic-1,2-diol production

The stereoselective three-enzyme cascade for the one-pot synthesis of (1S,2S)-1-phenylpropane-1,2-diol ((1S,2S)-1-PPD) from inexpensive starting substrates, benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde, was explored. By coupling stereoselective carboligation catalyzed by benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFD), L-selective reduction of a carbonyl group with alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis (ADHLb) as well as the coenzyme regeneration by formate dehydrogenase (FDH), enantiomerically pure diastereoselective 1,2-diol was produced. Two different multi-enzyme system approaches were applied: the sequential two-step one-pot and the simultaneous one-pot cascade. All enzymes were kinetically characterized. The impact of acetaldehyde on the BFD and ADHLb stability was investigated. To overcome the kinetic limitation of acetaldehyde in the carboligation reaction and to reduce its influence on the enzyme stability, experiments were performed in two different excesses of acetaldehyde (100 and 300%). Due to the ADHLb deactivation by acetaldehyde, the simultaneous one-pot cascade proved not to be the first choice for the investigated three-enzyme system. In the sequential cascade with 300% acetaldehyde excess a 100% yield of vic 1,2-diol was reached.

Reversibility of asymmetric catalyzed C–C bond formation by benzoylformate decarboxylase

Benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFD) fromPseudomonas putidacatalyzed the formation of 2-hydroxy-1-phenylpropanone (2-HPP), a 2-hydroxy ketone, from the kinetic resolution ofrac-benzoin in the presence of acetaldehyde.

Combined pressure and cosolvent effects on enzyme activity – a high-pressure stopped-flow kinetic study on α-chymotrypsin

Pressure enhances the hydrolysis of peptides catalysed by α-CT, which is efficiently and differently modulated by chaotropic and kosmotropic cosolvents.

High pressure CO2-controlled reactors: enzymatic chiral resolution in emulsions

Chiral separation of ibuprofen catalyzed by enzyme conducted in CO₂-based micelle makes the reaction more effective and greener.