Unlocking Asymmetric Michael Additions in an Archetypical Class I Aldolase by Directed Evolution

Stereospecific radical coupling with a non-natural photodecarboxylase

Photoenzymes are light-powered biocatalysts that typically rely on the excitation of cofactors or unnatural amino acids for their catalytic activities1,2. A notable natural example is the fatty acid photodecarboxylase, which uses light energy to convert aliphatic carboxylic acids to achiral hydrocarbons3. Here we report a method for the design of a non-natural photodecarboxylase based on the excitation of enzyme-bound catalytic intermediates, rather than reliance on cofactor excitation4. Iminium ions5, transiently generated from enals within the active site of an engineered class I aldolase6, can absorb violet light and function as single-electron oxidants. Activation of chiral carboxylic acids, followed by decarboxylation, generates two radicals that undergo stereospecific cross-coupling, yielding products with two stereocentres. Using the appropriate enantiopure chiral substrate, the desired diastereoisomeric product is selectively obtained with complete enantiocontrol. This finding underscores the ability of the active site to transfer stereochemical information from the chiral radical precursor into the product, effectively addressing the long-standing problem of rapid racemization of chiral radicals. The resulting 'memory of chirality' scenario7 is a rarity in enantioselective radical chemistry.

Designing Michaelases: exploration of novel protein scaffolds for iminium biocatalysis

Biocatalysis is becoming a powerful and sustainable alternative for asymmetric catalysis. However, enzymes are often restricted to metabolic and less complex reactivities. This can be addressed by protein engineering, such as incorporating new-to-nature functional groups into proteins through the so-called expansion of the genetic code to produce artificial enzymes. Selecting a suitable protein scaffold is a challenging task that plays a key role in designing artificial enzymes. In this work, we explored different protein scaffolds for an abiological model of iminium-ion catalysis, Michael addition of nitromethane into E-cinnamaldehyde. We studied scaffolds looking for open hydrophobic pockets and enzymes with described binding sites for the targeted substrate. The proteins were expressed and variants harboring functional amine groups - lysine, p-aminophenylalanine, or N6-(D-prolyl)-L-lysine - were analyzed for the model reaction. Among the newly identified scaffolds, a thermophilic ene-reductase from Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus was shown to be the most promising biomolecular scaffold for this reaction.

Design and Evolution of an Enzyme for the Asymmetric Michael Addition of Cyclic Ketones to Nitroolefins by Enamine Catalysis

Consistent introduction of novel enzymes is required for developing efficient biocatalysts for challenging biotransformations. Absorbing catalytic modes from organocatalysis may be fruitful for designing new-to-nature enzymes with novel functions. Herein we report a newly designed artificial enzyme harboring a catalytic pyrrolidine residue that catalyzes the asymmetric Michael addition of cyclic ketones to nitroolefins through enamine activation with high efficiency. Diverse chiral γ-nitro cyclic ketones with two stereocenters were efficiently prepared with excellent stereoselectivity (up to 97 % e.e., >20 : 1 d.r.) and good yield (up to 86 %). This work provides an efficient biocatalytic strategy for cyclic ketone functionalization, and highlights the usefulness of artificial enzymes for extending biocatalysis to further non-natural reactions.

Helical polyisocyanide-based macroporous organic catalysts for asymmetric Michael addition with high efficiency and stereoselectivity

Porous materials have attracted interest due to their high specific surface area and rich functionality. Immobilizing organocatalysts onto porous polymers not only boosts enantioselectivity but also improves the reaction rates. In this work, a series of porous polymers C-poly-3ms with rigid polyisocyanide-carrying secondary amine pendants as building blocks were successfully prepared. And the pore size and optical activity of C-poly-3ms can be controlled by the length of the polyisocyanide blocks due to their rigid and helical backbone. C-poly-3150 demonstrated a preferred left-handed helix with a θ 364 value of -8.21 × 103. The pore size and S BET of C-poly-3150 were 17.52 nm and 7.98 m2 g-1, respectively. The porous C-poly-3150 catalyzes the asymmetric Michael addition reaction efficiently and generates the target products in satisfactory yield and excellent enantioselectivity. For 6ab, an enantiomeric excess (ee) and a diastereomeric ratio (dr) up to 99% and 99/1 could be achieved, respectively. The recovered catalyst can be recycled at least 6 times in the asymmetric Michael addition reaction while maintaining activity and stereoselectivity.

Asymmetric C-Alkylation of Nitroalkanes via Enzymatic Photoredox Catalysis

Tertiary nitroalkanes and the corresponding α-tertiary amines represent important motifs in bioactive molecules and natural products. The C-alkylation of secondary nitroalkanes with electrophiles is a straightforward strategy for constructing tertiary nitroalkanes; however, controlling the stereoselectivity of this type of reaction remains challenging. Here, we report a highly chemo- and stereoselective C-alkylation of nitroalkanes with alkyl halides catalyzed by an engineered flavin-dependent "ene"-reductase (ERED). Directed evolution of the old yellow enzyme from Geobacillus kaustophilus provided a triple mutant, GkOYE-G7, capable of synthesizing tertiary nitroalkanes in high yield and enantioselectivity. Mechanistic studies indicate that the excitation of an enzyme-templated charge-transfer complex formed between the substrates and cofactor is responsible for radical initiation. Moreover, a single-enzyme two-mechanism cascade reaction was developed to prepare tertiary nitroalkanes from simple nitroalkenes, highlighting the potential to use one enzyme for two mechanistically distinct reactions.

Stereoselective Three-Step One-Pot Cascade Combining Amino- and Biocatalysis to Access Chiral γ-Nitro Alcohols

The combination of small-molecule catalysis and enzyme catalysis represents an underexploited area of research with huge potential in asymmetric synthetic chemistry due to both compatibility of reaction conditions and complementary reactivity. Herein, we describe the telescopic synthesis of chiral nitro alcohols starting from commercially available benzaldehyde derivatives through the one-pot three-step chemoenzymatic cascade combination of a Wittig reaction, chiral-thiourea-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition, and ketoreductase-mediated reduction to access the corresponding target compounds in moderate to excellent overall isolated yields (36-80 %) and high diastereomeric and enantiomeric ratios (up to >97 : 3). This represents the first example of the combination of an organocatalysed asymmetric conjugate addition via iminium ion activation and a bioreduction step catalysed by ketoreductases.

Synthetic Biology: Bottom-Up Assembly of Molecular Systems

The bottom-up assembly of biological and chemical components opens exciting opportunities to engineer artificial vesicular systems for applications with previously unmet requirements. The modular combination of scaffolds and functional building blocks enables the engineering of complex systems with biomimetic or new-to-nature functionalities. Inspired by the compartmentalized organization of cells and organelles, lipid or polymer vesicles are widely used as model membrane systems to investigate the translocation of solutes and the transduction of signals by membrane proteins. The bottom-up assembly and functionalization of such artificial compartments enables full control over their composition and can thus provide specifically optimized environments for synthetic biological processes. This review aims to inspire future endeavors by providing a diverse toolbox of molecular modules, engineering methodologies, and different approaches to assemble artificial vesicular systems. Important technical and practical aspects are addressed and selected applications are presented, highlighting particular achievements and limitations of the bottom-up approach. Complementing the cutting-edge technological achievements, fundamental aspects are also discussed to cater to the inherently diverse background of the target audience, which results from the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology. The engineering of proteins as functional modules and the use of lipids and block copolymers as scaffold modules for the assembly of functionalized vesicular systems are explored in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the controlled assembly of these components into increasingly complex vesicular systems. Finally, all descriptions are presented in the greater context of engineering valuable synthetic biological systems for applications in biocatalysis, biosensing, bioremediation, or targeted drug delivery.

Unlocking New Reactivities in Enzymes by Iminium Catalysis

The application of biocatalysis in conquering challenging synthesis requires the constant input of new enzymes. Developing novel biocatalysts by absorbing catalysis modes from synthetic chemistry has yielded fruitful new-to-nature enzymes. Organocatalysis was originally bio-inspired and has become the third pillar of asymmetric catalysis. Transferring organocatalytic reactions back to enzyme platforms is a promising approach for biocatalyst creation. Herein, we summarize recent developments in the design of novel biocatalysts that adopt iminium catalysis, a fundamental branch in organocatalysis. By repurposing existing enzymes or constructing artificial enzymes, various biocatalysts for iminium catalysis have been created and optimized via protein engineering to promote valuable abiological transformations. Recent advances in iminium biocatalysis illustrate the power of combining chemomimetic biocatalyst design and directed evolution to generate useful new-to-nature enzymes.

Hot off the press

A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products such as anisotanol A from Anisodus tanguticus.

Enantiocomplementary Michael Additions of Acetaldehyde to Aliphatic Nitroalkenes Catalyzed by Proline-Based Carboligases

The blockbuster drug Pregabalin is widely prescribed for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy. Given the continuous epidemic growth of diabetes, the development of sustainable synthesis routes for Pregabalin and structurally related pharmaceutically active γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives is of high interest. Enantioenriched γ‐nitroaldehydes are versatile synthons for the production of GABA derivatives, which can be prepared through a Michael‐type addition of acetaldehyde to α,β‐unsaturated nitroalkenes. Here we report that tailored variants of the promiscuous enzyme 4‐oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4‐OT) can accept diverse aliphatic α,β‐unsaturated nitroalkenes as substrates for acetaldehyde addition. Highly enantioenriched aliphatic (R)‐ and (S)‐γ‐nitroaldehydes were obtained in good yields using two enantiocomplementary 4‐OT variants. Our results underscore the synthetic potential of 4‐OT for the preparation of structurally diverse synthons for bioactive analogues of Pregabalin.

Catalysts’ evolution in the asymmetric conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to electron-poor alkenes

This review provides a journey of the catalyst usage for the enantioselective conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to electron-poor olefins from the early attempts to the latest achievements. Selected applications are also reported.

Substrate access path-guided engineering of L-threonine aldolase for improving diastereoselectivity

The L-threonine aldolase from Leishmania major was engineered to improve diastereoselectivity by a CAST/ISM strategy, providing insights into the relationship between physico -chemical properties of substrate access path and diastereoselectivity....