Asymmetric Reductive Carbocyclization Using Engineered Ene Reductases.

Ene reductases from the Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) family reduce the C=C double bond in α,β-unsaturated compounds bearing an electron-withdrawing group, for example, a carbonyl group. This asymmetric reduction has been exploited for biocatalysis. Going beyond its canonical function, we show that members of this enzyme family can also catalyze the formation of C-C bonds.